Bodog Beat

LeBron James skies his way to a win over San Antonio. (AI Wire photo)

It came seven months too late for Cleveland Cavaliers bettors, but for LeBron James and Co. beating the San Antonio Spurs has to feel like a relief.

James followed up a 51-point effort on Tuesday night with a 27-point game as the Cavaliers edged the Spurs 90-88 Thursday in the first meeting between the two teams since the NBA Finals.

San Antonio swept that four-game series but couldn’t pull things out this time despite playing on its home court. Any bettors who stuck with the Cavaliers were richly rewarded. Cleveland paid +265 on the moneyline (meaning a winning NBA bet of $100 would net $265) and also beat the point spread, which favored the champs by 7.5 at the AT&T Center.

The Spurs’ Manu Ginobili led all scorers with 31 points but missed two free throws in the final half-minute and a last-second jump shot that would’ve forced overtime.

In other NBA action on Thursday:

Denver 120, Utah 109: If you heard a Nugget had scored 41 points you’d say it was either Allen Iverson or Carmelo Anthony, right? Try Linas Kleiza. The second-year small forward lit up the Jazz for a career-best point total as Denver cruised to victory. Iverson had 28 and Anthony 23 for the Nuggets, who were three-point favorites at home.

Phoenix 106, Los Angeles Lakers 98: Steve Nash had 12 points and 19 assists and Shawn Marion had 20 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Suns. Visiting Phoenix won as 2.5-point favorites in a contest featured on BodogLIVE, the in-game wagering service.

For NBA odds for the weekend, slam and jam with the Bodog Sportsbook.