National Basketball Association

LeBron leaves game with leg cramps

Published Oct. 12, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

CSKA Moscow provided one scare, then LeBron James gave Miami another.

The Heat survived both.

James scored 22 points in 26 minutes before leaving with leg cramps in the third quarter, Chris Bosh added 17 points and eight rebounds, and the Heat overcame an early 10-point deficit to beat the Euroleague powerhouse 96-85 in an exhibition on Tuesday night.

Former Duke star Trajan Langdon scored 20 for CSKA Moscow, which got 17 from Jamont Gordon and 15 from Ramunas Siskauskas.

It took a 23-4 run in the third quarter - with James and Bosh combining for 19 of those points - for Miami to create any sort of comfort zone over their Russian guests, who will also face Oklahoma City and Cleveland on their NBA preseason tour before returning to Moscow early next week.

This one wasn't decided until the final minutes.

Langdon's jumper with 4:15 remaining cut Miami's lead to five, but the Heat answered with four quick points. Kenny Hasbrouck - fighting for a roster spot - found Udonis Haslem for a layup on the next Miami possession, then added a driving layup in transition for a 90-81 lead.

Hasbrouck finished with 12 points and four assists for Miami. Matjaz Smodis scored 11 for CSKA Moscow.

Miami played again without Dwyane Wade, who is continuing to recover from a strained right hamstring suffered in the preseason opener on Oct. 5. Mike Miller started in his place again for the Heat, who were also without Carlos Arroyo and Jamaal Magloire, neither of whom is expected to be back when Miami visits New Orleans on Wednesday.

CSKA Moscow got quite a welcome: An opera singer performed the Russian national anthem, and a group of fans waved the nation's flag directly across from the visiting bench. The Heat even exchanged gifts with their Euroleague foes just before tip-off.

They felt comfortable, for certain.

Bosh took a lob pass from James and scored 15 seconds into the game. The lead - Miami's only edge of the half - didn't last, and the visitors weren't the least bit intimidated, either.

By the midway point of the opening quarter, it was 13-6. When Siskauskas hit a jumper with 4:24 left, CSKA Moscow stretched its edge to 17-7. And after James hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 34 with 4:16 remaining until halftime, the Russian club peeled off the next seven points, all from the foul line, five of them coming from Langdon.

At halftime, the lead was 44-39. This wasn't against the Heat third-stringers and guys playing for jobs, either. James played 18 minutes in the opening half - only Siskauskas logged more, and that was by a mere 56 seconds.

Eventually, James decided enough was enough.

His acrobatic layup with 8:38 left in the third, while getting fouled, put Miami ahead 50-49. On the ensuing CSKA possession, James got a steal on the right wing, then found Miller for a left-handed layup and a three-point lead that had the Russian club quickly calling for a timeout.

James hit a free throw with 3:53 left, giving Miami a 63-53 lead two seconds before he departed. Miami led the rest of the way.

Notes: Mario Chalmers, who has battled ankle soreness since a nasty sprain this summer, was limping after scoring the final points of the night. ... Of the 10 Heat players who logged minutes, only starting center Joel Anthony did not score - or shoot, for that matter. ... Miami outscored CSKA 57-41 after halftime.