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Rested Cavaliers defeat Pacers 98-86
LeBron James scored 35 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 16 and the Cleveland Cavaliers looked sharp in their first game in four days, a 98-86 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.
The Cavaliers, who hadn't played since snapping a six-game losing streak Tuesday night, had a season-low five turnovers, held Indiana to three field goals over the final 14:36 and 15 points in the fourth. Cleveland also outrebounded Indiana 46-34.
With part-owner Usher leading the cheers from his courtside seat in the fourth, the Cavaliers played one of their best all-around games in weeks and moved a little closer to locking up their first playoff berth since 1998.
As usual, James led the way, adding five rebounds and five assists. When Indiana was still within striking distance in the fourth, James drained two straight jumpers to make it 93-82 with 1:33 left.
After the second one, James turned, sprinted up the floor and looked in the stands. He shook his head as if to say he couldn't be stopped. James was replaced a few seconds later to a rousing ovation and he made sure he slapped hands with everyone on Cleveland's bench before taking a seat.
Reggie Miller scored 29 points — 14 on free throws — and Anthony Johnson had 17 for the Pacers.
Indiana couldn't buy a basket in the fourth quarter, going 3-of-16 from the floor. The Pacers went 8:59 without a field goal before Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 5:27 left to bring Indiana within 83-77.
But Ilgauskas hit an 18-footer, Eric Snow hit a crucial jumper and Ilgauskas scored again as the Cavs went up by 10. That's when James went to work, hitting his two jumpers as the Cavaliers beat the Pacers for just the second time in 12 games.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle shook up his starting lineup again as James Jones and Scot Pollard started in place of Greg Foster and Stephen Jackson. Because of injuries and the brawl-related suspensions, Carlisle has used 26 different lineups.
James, who came in averaging 7.6 assists, didn't get his first one until midway through the quarter. But he was getting his points, scoring seven straight, the final three coming on a long-range jumper as the Cavaliers took a 76-71 lead after three quarters.
Miller, who is retiring after the season, was possibly playing in Gund Arena for the final time. He scored 14 consecutive points for Indiana, bridging the second and third quarters. He had made a career-best 61 consecutive free throws before missing a technical in the third.
If Carlos Boozer is activated from Utah's injured list, he will return to Cleveland on Tuesday night for the first time since he bolted last summer as a free agent. Cavs coach Paul Silas expects Cavaliers fans, who felt betrayed by Boozer, to rudely welcome him back. "They (fans) aren't going to move on, and they're going to let him know it," Silas said. "He's going to have to deal with it." ... It will be interesting to see what the Cavaliers have in store for Boozer, who wasn't with the Jazz on Sunday in Detroit. Last year, the club was fined $5,000 by the NBA for a skit aimed at Boston guard Ricky Davis, a former Cavalier who criticized Cleveland after his departure. ... Pacers G Jamaal Tinsley sat out his ninth straight game with a bruised left foot. ... Miller's previous long free throw streak was 51 straight in 1991.
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