"The scoreboard at Quicken Loans Arena is unique in the NBA in that it is the only one that between the scores of the teams is a listing of "The Diff."

During the LeBron James era it was a whimsical designation for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the leads would grow exponentially.

Now? Now it largely stands as an indictment, such as Friday night against the Miami Heat, when it stood at minus-23 in the first quarter, minus-27 in the second and later at minus-34.

It added up to a 111-87 crowd-numbing Heat victory.

After two days of James trying to make nice to the fan base he left behind in 2010 free agency to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat offered a vivid reminder of where they stand and how far the Cavaliers have stumbled.

"We took a step forward in the last five games," coach Erik Spoelstra said of the close of the six-game trip, after an opening misstep against the Orlando Magic. "I think all the guys in that locker room generally feel closer after the trip.

"All I know is we accomplished one thing we wanted. We wanted to take a legitimate step forward and improve."

It ended amid surprisingly good will for James, who actually received a smattering of cheers, something that would have seemed unfathomable during last season's two contentious returns.

"It definitely was humbling, for sure," he said. "I know it wouldn't be as hostile as it was."

James closed with a game-high 28 points, on 11-of-19 shooting, with five rebounds and five assists in just 30 minutes."