NEW YORK (AP) -- LBJ at MSG was A-OK for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James scored 22 points in his first game at Madison

Square Garden, where the fans turned on the home team Sunday as the

New York Knicks fell behind by 23 points in the fourth quarter of a

92-86 loss.

Whether they were booing or chanting the name of the departed

Keith Van Horn, the matinee crowd let it be known that they weren't

happy seeing the Knicks play so poorly.

"That's cold," Cavs guard Jeff McInnis said.

"That's crazy," James said.

Whether it was cold, crazy or both, the voice of the crowd spoke

volumes about the rapidly deteriorating fortunes of the Knicks, who

lost for the fourth time in five games and now embark on a

four-game Western road trip.

James didn't have his flashiest or most productive game,

stepping aside to let center Zydrunas Ilgauskas carry most of the

offensive load.

Ilgauskas scored Cleveland's first eight points of the fourth

quarter, having his way against newly acquired backup center Nazr

Mohammed, as the Cavs opened the final period with an 8-1 run to go

ahead 78-56.

"What can I say?" Ilgauskas said. "It was one of those days

where the hoop looked like a swimming pool."

New York had a 26-7 run to pull within four, but it wasn't

enough.

Ilgauskas had 31 points and 15 rebounds, Carlos Boozer added 14

points and 17 rebounds and McInnis scored 13 points.

Stephon Marbury shot just 4-for-21 in the first three quarters

and finished 13-for-34 for 30 points, while Penny Hardaway shot

2-for-13 and Tim Thomas-- the main player acquired a week earlier in

the trade that sent Van Horn to Milwaukee -- had a quiet 10 points.

"Our chemistry isn't where it was four games ago. We have to

get back there," Knicks coach Lenny Wilkens said.

It was 81-58 with 7:06 remaining when James implored his

teammates "C'mon, let's take 'em out." The Cavs wouldn't score

again until 2:53 remained, but it made no difference as New York --

suddenly a struggling offensive team -- couldn't close the entire

gap.

"When you're up by 23 points, you look at the clock and wonder

why it's going so slow," James said. "We closed it out. We won."

The game began to get away from the Knicks late in the second

quarter when they failed to score on seven of their final eight

possessions. Cleveland led 44-40 at the break behind 18 points and

11 rebounds from Ilgauskas.

Ilgauskas' three-point play capped an 11-4 run to open the third

quarter, putting the Cavs ahead 55-44, and Cleveland maintained an

11-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

The booing increased as the Knicks scored just one point on

their first seven possessions of the quarter, and the Van Horn

chant began as Othella Harrington stepped to the foul line with

9:26 remaining.

"When you lose, what can you expect?" Tim Thomas said. "When

we get back on a winning track, it'll be different. They're

frustrated just like we as players are frustrated."

New York had a 10-0 run to pull to 81-68 before Boozer scored

inside to break the drought.

McInnis' long jumper as the shot clock expired with 41.3 second

remaining gave Cleveland an 85-75 lead. James missed a pair of foul

shots, and Marbury pushed the ball upcourt and scored on a drive to

make it 88-84 with 18 seconds left. A tip-in by Kurt Thomas made it

90-86, but James sank two foul shots -- his only points of the final

quarter -- with 5.7 seconds left to clinch it.

James was coming off a 32-point performance in a victory over

San Antonio on Friday.

"A good basketball player, this is one arena you want to play

in," said James, whose likeness is plastered on a four-story

billboard on Seventh Avenue just a block from the Garden.

"I haven't seen it yet, but I heard about it -- so I love it

already," James said.

Game notes

Knicks G Allan Houston missed his 16th game of the season

because of a sore knee. He could return sometime during New York's

trip to play the Kings, Suns, Clippers and Nuggets. Houston missed

a total of 19 games in his first 10 NBA seasons. The Knicks fell to

8-8 without him. ... Cleveland defeated the Knicks for the third

time, clinching the season series -- and the tiebreaker if the teams

finish the regular season with the same record. The Cavs are 2{

games out of eighth place in the East, the cutoff for making the

postseason. ... The Knicks drew their 16th sellout crowd in 31 home

games. ... Cleveland snapped a five-game losing streak at the

Garden. ... The road win was Cleveland's seventh of the season.