Cavaliers 90, Nets 88
CLEVELAND -- LeBron James' runner in the lane with one second left allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to hold on for a 90-88 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
James and Kevin Love each scored 26 points and the Cavs remained unbeaten at home (9-0), but it didn't come easy against a struggling Nets team.
Jarrett Jack's desperation heave at the buzzer from well beyond half court hit the back of the rim. Brook Lopez scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Joe Johnson had 17 points for the Nets, who have lost four of their last five.
J.R. Smith fouled Joe Johnson on a 3-pointer with 15.2 seconds left, allowing the Nets to tie the game at 88.
Smith picked up Johnson on each of the Nets' last two possessions.
Johnson's potential look at a game-winner rimmed out with 18 seconds left.
James made a pair of free throws at the other end for a three-point lead, but Johnson shook Smith on the Nets' ensuing inbounds following a timeout. Smith ran into Johnson on the attempt and Johnson made all three attempts.
James took the inbounds pass, dribbled the clock down and drove the lane before floating up the winner.
Johnson's earlier 3-pointer gave the Nets an 83-76 lead, but the Nets went scoreless for 3 1/2 minutes while the Cavs fought back.
Smith's pesky defense forced a block and then drew an offensive foul on Johnson.
Tristan Thompson's basket gave the Cavs an 84-83 lead with 2:44 to play.
The Cavs were playing their third game in four nights while the Nets were off the last two days.
James and Love combined to shoot just 2 of 7 in the first and the Cavs ended the quarter shooting just 32 percent.
Lopez punished the Cavs' interior defense and the Nets got whatever they wanted early, leading by as many as 12 in the first half while the Cavs struggled to find their legs.
The Cavs didn't take their first lead until a 3-pointer from Love with 4:50 left in the third quarter.
The Nets have played better of late following a dismal 0-7 start, but coach Lionel Hollins knows he's still undermanned on many nights. This was one of them.
"I don't try to analyze everything," Hollins said. "I see it and I know what it is but what good does it do for me to stay up all night analyzing and trying to figure out how to make it different when we don't have Kevin Durant, we don't have (Russell) Westbrook, we don't have LeBron James?
"We are who we are and if we go out and play together as a team and work as a group and try to be disciplined in what we're doing we give ourselves a chance to win ad that's all you can do. If you're not good enough to win those games because of the other team's talent, you still have done all that you can do and you just go home and go to bed."
NOTES: The Nets averaged only 90.4 points through their 0-7 start, the worst in the league. They began the night averaging 102.5 points since, which ranks in the top 10 over the last eight games. ... Nets coach Lionel Hollins said Cavaliers F Kevin Love is in so much better shape that he didn't recognize him. "I was watching the tape and I had to ask who that was because he looks like he's in better shape. And I think he's probably better focused," Hollins said. ... The Cavaliers outrebounded their opponents in 14 of their first 16 games before facing the Nets. ... Guard Mo Williams of the Cavaliers began the night eight baskets shy of 4,000 for his career.