Furious after not being called for a alleged foul while advancing towards the basket, LeBron James was ejected for the first time in his illustrious career, in the third quarter of the game that Cleveland won 108-97 against the Heat from Miami in the NBA.

Kevin Love scored 32 of his 38 points in the first half and James added 21, extending the Cavs' winning streak to nine games, their longest since 2015.

When Cleveland was up by 23 points, James ran from one end of the court to the other and was contacted by James Johnson and Dion Waiters. Not hearing the whistle, the star shouted and gestured towards the referee Kane Fitzgerald, who called him for two technical fouls and informed the NBA three-time champion that he had to leave with 1:59 remaining in the third period.

It was his first ejection in 1,082 lifetime games in the NBA. James assured that he had never been ejected in any other category since he started playing basketball as a child in Akron.

HE LOST CONTROL! For the first time in his career, LeBron James is ejected from an NBA game. pic.twitter.com/Br0WUl62mn

— Toque Sports (@ToqueSports) November 29, 2017

"In that particular play, I was fouled throughout the whole stretch I advanced through the court, from the moment I stripped the ball (from Johnson) until I jumped towards the basket. So that's what happened," he commented. "I said what I had to say and tried to focus on what's next. But he (Fitzgerald) thought I should receive two technical fouls, and that's it... We got the victory and that was the most important thing," he added.

For some time now, James has complained that they don't call fouls near the basket. He suggested that his outburst could have been due to accumulated frustration.

"I'm one of the league leaders in points in the paint," he commented. "I cut to the basket more than anyone. At this point, it's almost as if they're trying to turn me into a shooter from the perimeter. I can't be that. I'm not."

Love had fun with every defender that Miami assigned to him, making 10 of 16 field goals and 14 of 17 free throws. He counted 22 in the first quarter and the Cavs pulled away by 27 points before halftime.

Dwyane Wade added 17 points for Cleveland, which has recovered from a slow start to the season and has become the team to beat in the Eastern Conference once again.

Dion Waiters scored 21 points and Bam Adebayo added 19 for the Heat, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Point guard Goran Dragic, the team's top scorer, finished with seven points, 12 below his average per game. (D)