LeBron James scored 18 points while Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh each added 16 in Miami's 97-72 rout of Detroit on Wednesday in the final Heat game before James makes a much-anticipated return to Cleveland.

James, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, left the Cavaliers in July to sign a free agent deal with Miami, saying he felt he had a better chance of winning a title with Bosh and Wade on the Heat than by staying in Cleveland.

That angered the Cavaliers fans who had supported him for years, setting the stage for an emotional return game on Thursday night.

"It's going to be emotional for myself, going back to Cleveland to the fans that I still love to this day," James said. "Lot of great memories, but I've got to try to put that in the back of my mind, understand that we're coming in to get a win, and play hard and try to get a 'W'."

Concern that the Heat might overlook the Pistons was unfounded as Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was finally ready to look ahead at a game where James and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas of Lithuania, another ex-Cavalier, will face extra tension.

"Tomorrow will be a very competitive, passionate game and we want to take care of two of our own," Spoelstra said. "We will be tested tomorrow, physically, emotionally, all the above."

Miami improved to 11-8 by holding Detroit to only 36 percent shooting from the field and no Piston reached 10 points in the team's lowest-scoring game so far this season. The Heat have won twice since a Saturday team meeting in Dallas.

"We're starting to put it together," James said. "After that conversation we had in Dallas, we got a lot of stuff off our chests and we've been playing good basketball since then."

Agence France-Presse