NBA

• James goes for 40 as Cavs top Pacers

  
  

  Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - LeBron James finished with 40 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and made key shots down the stretch to help the Cavaliers to a 105-95 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

  Mo Williams added 18 points for Cleveland, which rebounded from a loss at Washington on Wednesday.

  The Cavaliers have won six of their last seven overall. J.J. Hickson ended with 15 points and seven boards in the victory.

  Danny Granger had 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists to lead the Pacers, who have dropped two in a row after a five-game win streak. Dahntay Jones had 17 points as five Indiana players finished in double figures.

  A big difference in the game was free throw shooting, as the Cavaliers made 27-of-34 from the line, while the Pacers hit 15-of-21.

  Neither team led by more than 10 points during the close contest, which saw the Cavaliers take the lead in the fourth quarter. After a Granger basket gave the Pacers an 86-84 edge with 7 1/2 minutes to play, Williams sank three free throws. Hickson followed with a dunk to put the Cavs up 89-86.

  Cleveland continued to play in front, and with under five minutes left James converted a three-point play to make it a 94-88 contest.

  The Pacers stayed close, and a Troy Murphy three got them within 96-92 with just over three minutes to go. However, James quickly answered with a layup, and neither team scored on its next several possessions.

  Murphy sank two free throws with just over a minute to play, trimming Indiana's deficit to four, but James provided the dagger on the other end. Dribbling the ball at the top of the key, he connected on a three-pointer with 52.8 seconds remaining to make it a 101-94 game, and the Pacers didn't make a field goal the rest of the way.

  Granger closed the opening quarter with a basket to even the game at 38-38, and the game remained tight in the second. Late in the half, Anthony Parker drained a jumper to cap an eight-point Cavaliers burst, helping them head into the break with a 66-61 advantage.

  Indiana grabbed the lead in the third, thanks to an early 15-0 run. Brandon Rush fueled the stretch with five points, ending it on a short shot for a 78-68 Pacers lead just past the midway point of the frame.

  But the Cavaliers later rattled off seven points to make it a two-point game, and the Pacers took an 82-77 edge to the fourth.

  Game Notes The teams shot similarly from the floor, as the Cavs made 36-of-78 attempts (46.2 percent) and the Pacers sank 38-of-81 tries (46.9 percent)...James and Williams combined to go 24-of-25 on foul shots...Murphy, who had missed the previous six games with a back injury, ended with 12 points and 10 boards off the bench for Indiana, while Rush had 16 points and T.J. Ford 14...Hickson ended with 15 points, while Parker had 12.

  11/20 22:00:54 ET