James hits key shots as Cavs win 97-89

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LeBron made two big 3-pointers in the final minute to beat New Orleans.

CLEVELAND (AP) — One big, backbreaking shot wasn't going to bail out the Cavaliers.

So LeBron James made another.

James dropped two crucial 3-pointers in the last minute to finally put New Orleans away and Cleveland did its late scoring from beyond the arc in a 97-89 win over the Hornets Tuesday night.

James, who finished with 35 points, knocked down a 25-footer from the top of the key with 49.9 seconds left, and then nailed another 3 from nearly the same spot with 24.2 seconds remaining to save the offensively inconsistent Cavaliers, who made four 3-pointers in the final 3:53.

"If they go in, it's a great shot," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "LeBron swung at it and hit a home run."

Toughest shots possible

The Hornets' defensive strategy down the stretch was to force James to take the toughest shots possible. They were able to do that, but what they didn't bank on was James making them anyway.

"We got what we wanted," Hornets forward David West said.

Cleveland improved to 14-8 against Western Conference teams — the top mark among Eastern squads.

James scored 22 points after halftime and added eight assists, his last going to rookie Daniel Gibson, whose 3-pointer with 1:42 left made it 91-85 and enabled the Cavs to hang on despite blowing a 15-point lead in the second half.

Larry Hughes added 11 points on 5-for-16 shooting, continuing a troubling shooting slump for the slashing guard. However, Hughes made a 3-pointer with 3:53 remaining, just seconds after the Hornets had tied it 83-all.

David West had 25 points, Desmond Mason 16 and Tyson Chandler 14 with 10 rebounds for the Hornets, who went 8-4 in February. Chris Paul, who scored 30 when New Orleans beat Cleveland in December, was held to seven points and backcourt mate Devin Brown didn't score in 19 minutes.

The Hornets have lost six straight in Cleveland.

James was held to 15 points in Cleveland's 95-89 loss to the Hornets on Dec. 11 in Oklahoma city. But Cleveland's All-Star forward was determined not to have a repeat performance for himself or the Cavs.

"I've been playing great basketball since the All-Star break individually," said James, averaging 30.5 points in his last six games. "I feel the best I've felt all year."

Wednesday, February 28, 2007