A key piece of the Cavs' 2008-09 run returned to the floor in a big way on Saturday night against the Mavs.

After a Thursday night Turkey Day at Dan Gilbert’s royal mansion in Michigan, the Cavs showed up and fell victim to the Charlotte Bobcats (and tryptophan) in Friday night’s matchup.

On Friday night, however, the Wine and Gold came out hotter than their Thanksgiving turkey.  The Cavs shot 68.4% from the field to take a 68-55 lead over the Mavs after just one half of play.  King James and Mo Williams shot a combined 19 of 32 (59.4%) from the floor on their way to an even 25 points apiece.  LeBron added 5 boards and 12 assists and Mo was a perfect 7 of 7 from downtown in the contest.

The Cavs bench posted 40 of the team’s 111 points in the victory.  Anderson Varejao didn’t miss a shot in the game, going 7 of 7 from the field and canning his only free throw in a 15 point and 9 rebound performance.  Dirk and the Mavs got a heavy dose of Moonshine in the contest as Jamario Moon drained 5 of his 8 shots for 13 points to go along with his 9 rebounds. 

Cleveland also returned a familiar face to the floor tonight.  Delonte West, whose off-court issues have translated into very little playing time this season, performed exceptionally in his 28 minutes of work on Saturday night.  West easily played his best game of the season, posting a +12 efficiency rating with 10 points, 10 assists, and 4 rebounds.

In his second game back from a shoulder strain, the Shaqalier posted 9 points and 6 rebounds in his 25 minutes of work in the paint.  The Cavs returned to their strengths early in the game by feeding the Big Fella and establishing their post presence on their first two possessions of the game.  O’Neal rewarded Mike Brown’s squad with 4 points on 2 of 2 from the floor.

The Cavs won’t return to the floor again until Wednesday night when they take on Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns in The Q.  Tip-off will be at 7 pm.