Yes, the Heat manhandled the Cavaliers , 118-90, amidst a hostile anti-LeBron atmosphere , taking all the boos, jeers, shirts and signs in stride and playing some of their most electric basketball in recent memory. James put on a show, especially during the third quarter, hitting shots in every way imaginable. It was a business-like blowout for a Heat team that hasn’t had nearly enough of them yet this season and James didn't even need to play during the fourth quarter.
James didn’t take his talents to South Beach for a little December revenge that surely felt sweet given all the pre-game hype and expectation. He migrated south to join up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and win a title. When James takes a second to think about the entirety of his situation, once he stops throwing up the chalk and talking trash to his former teammates, he will realize the Heat are still just the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference, no better than the sixth or seventh best team in the NBA. They’ll be a tough out for somebody in the playoffs, but the virtuoso team performance displayed Thursday night has been noticeably absent during Miami’s true tests. Bad teams roll over in their presence; good teams shut them down.