<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">By Marc Stein ESPN.com It's the most unrealistic expectation yet to be placed on LeBron James. And Carmelo Anthony shares it with him. Let's all please stop with this stuff about these two recreating Magic vs. Larry. Really. It's not fair to them. LeBron and 'Melo are carrying enough of a burden as franchise saviors. You had every reason to expect a better show from both of them in their maiden matchup as pros. Both have already proved, at this level, that they can play better than they did in a 93-89 victory for Denver that was dominated in the second half by 5-foot-5 Earl Boykins. I was convinced going in that LeBron, with a few extra days of rest, would look more like the LeBron who sparkled in Sacramento and Phoenix. I was equally convinced Carmelo would be right there with him, on the premise that they're players, even as teens, who don't have two bad games in a row. It didn't happen in part because Cleveland didn't get James the ball enough in the fourth quarter and because Boykins was going too well for Denver to take the ball out of his hands. Yet even if the kiddies had staged a spectacular duel, they'd still be years away from a rivalry to rival Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird.</div> Full Story
