The Cavaliers' decision to rest LeBron James in last night's 103-81 loss to Toronto caused a minor uproar in Blue Cross Arena, The Morning Journal is reporting.

Promoters had to be upset, as one of the league's top players sat out the back end of a back-to-back set of games, as promised by Cavaliers coach Mike Brown. Fans were miffed that they didn't get a chance to watch James perform.

The Cavaliers' objective is to keep James fresh for the regular season. He's played almost non-stop all summer after playing for Team USA in the FIBA World Championships.

''I've been playing 2 1/2 years straight,'' James said.

He misspoke once, saying he didn't care about the fans -- which one Rochester television station reportedly used on the air -- but he quickly correctly himself.

''I would be disappointed, too,'' he said. ''But the fans have to look at the real reason why, and they'll understand.''

Fans who paid $150 for front-row tickets probably didn't.

''I'm not injured, but I'm not 100 percent,'' he said. ''If it was a critical game, I'd be there. I'm getting ready for the long NBA season.''

Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said they took the decision to play out of James' hands.

''If it was up to LeBron, he'd play every game,'' Ferry said. ''Mike and I stepped in and wanted to be cautious.''

The estimated 9,000 fans chanted, ''We want LeBron,'' at least three times on the night. Once, he got up off his seat and pretended he was checking into the game, but then he sat down. That didn't go over well with the already perturbed fans.

Arena security took extra precautions after the game to ensure there were no incidents.

Brown apologized after the game and said he never second-guessed his original decision.

''It was an organizational decision,'' he said. ''We had to do what was best for the team.

''We apologize to the fans. I know if I was in their shoes, I'd want to see him play also.''