Cavaliers withstand LeBron James' triple-double to knock off Heat

CLEVELAND -- As he left the arena, Cavaliers coach Byron

Scott smiled and accepted fist bumps and congratulations from

security guards lining the hallway.

"Coach," one of them said, "we're going to talk about this

one all summer."

And probably for many more.

Cleveland got the win it wanted most.

Take that, LeBron.

Despite blowing a 23-point lead, the Cavs battled back to beat

the Miami Heat 102-90 on Tuesday night, getting a small dose of

satisfaction against James, the franchise's biggest star who was

making his second homecoming visit to Cleveland since bolting last

summer.

J.J. Hickson scored 21, Anthony Parker scored 20 and unsung

center Ryan Hollins threw around his weight for the Cavs, who were

embarrassed by the Heat 118-90 on Dec. 2 -- a night when Cleveland

fans unleashed pent-up hatred on James, the native son who scorned

them.

This time, it was James who left the floor beaten. He finished

with 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds and had to endure

another night of constant booing from fans who once cherished his

every move but now view him as a bitter enemy for betraying them.

James took the loss in stride, giving the Cavs credit they

deserved.

"Anytime we play anybody, we know we're going to get the best

out of them," James said. "They came out and played extremely

well. It was a good win for them."

It was more than that for Cleveland.

James' departure was a crippling blow to a city that hasn't

celebrated a championship since 1964, and a region desperate for

something positive to happen.

For at least one night, Cleveland rocked again.

"This was for the fans and for their support," Cavs guard

Daniel Gibson said. "They've stayed behind us and this was a way

of saying thank you."

In the closing seconds, the sellout crowd of 20,562 cut loose at

a victory even the most loyal Clevelander couldn't have imagined.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who accused James of quitting in last

year's playoffs after the two-time MVP announced he was joining

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in a poorly conceived TV special,

high-fived anyone within reach.

Gilbert also posted on Twitter, "Not in our garage!!" a reference to James' difficulty passing through security at Quicken Loans Arena earlier Tuesday.

On the floor afterward, Parker, whose last 3-pointer with 2:47

left capped a 12-0 run and put the Heat away, addressed Cavs fans.

"You guys deserve it," he said as the fans erupted.

Later, Parker said the Cavs were out to fix what went wrong on

Dec. 2.

"The first time we played them here, we were embarrassed and

they took a little from us," he said. "This is the night that we

wanted to get that back, for us, but more for the fans. That was

great getting it back for them."

The Cavaliers were a different team -- literally -- from the one

that laid down against the Heat here in December. Injuries and

trades have reduced Cleveland's roster to a shell of the one James

played with and helped win 60 games last season.

The Heat rallied from a 71-48 deficit, tying it at 83-all on

Mike Bibby's seventh 3-pointer with 7:03 left. But Miami, which

wasted a chance to move into second place in the Eastern Conference

standings, went scoreless for 4:24, allowing the Cavs to get just

their 15th win -- and most lopsided this season.

Wade added 24 for the Heat, who had their winning streak stopped

at five.

Cleveland shot a season-high 56 percent from the field, a number

that made coach Erik Spoelstra's skin crawl.

"The majority of time in this league you get what you deserve

and we got exactly what we deserved," Spoelstra said. "They

played harder than us. They came out with much more desperation and

sense of urgency. This pattern started two games ago, and we're a

little confused what our identity is."

Baron Davis made his first start since coming to Cleveland in a

trade, and the veteran scored 10 points and provided floor

leadership. The Cavs also got a big lift from Hollins, who had 13

points, three blocks and played physically -- something none of

Cleveland's players did in December.

Hollins stopped one of Wade's drives with an elbow, exchanged

words with Miami's guard and knocked James' headband off under the

basket.

"I feel like if they're more concerned about me, then that's a

good thing for our team," Hollins said. "That's the way I wanted

to play tonight."

There wasn't the same venom and hatred that shrouded James'

first visit four months ago. The crowd was energetic but not as

outwardly angry toward James, who was booed every time he touched

the ball. Security was extremely high, but there were no reported

incidents.

The teams took turns going on extended runs in a wild,

back-and-forth third quarter.

Cleveland scored 18 straight and opened a 71-48 lead, sending

their fans into a frenzy and putting the Heat in a deep hole. But

Miami was a long way from done as Wade hit a pair of 3-pointers and

scored 10 points in a 19-1 spurt that pulled the Heat within 72-67

on James' jumper.

Christian Eyenga's 3-pointer with 2 seconds left put the Cavs

ahead 75-67. James flung a 3-pointer from a few steps beyond

halfcourt to end the quarter, a shot that was initially ruled no

good but changed after the officials reviewed TV replays between

periods and determined there was a clock malfunction.

After the game, the NBA released a statement saying the shot

actually should not have counted, but it was too late to change the

score.

James arrived at the arena that was his pro basketball home for

seven seasons at 5:12 p.m. Wearing headphones and a shirt with the

inscription: "Long Live The King," James went through security

and waved to a few guards before ducking into the visitor's locker

room for the second time.

James wasn't sure what he would be facing, but he was confident

things would not be nearly as hostile as his previous visit.

"I expect the worst," he said. "But worse than last time,

Dec. 2? No."

He got something else he didn't expect.

Game notes

Heat F Mike Miller sat out with a bruised knee that

Spoelstra described as "slightly sprained." Miller will be

re-evaluated when his knee "calms down," Spoelstra said. ...

During a timeout in the second quarter, a fan made a 3-pointer and

won $10,000. ... Miami plays its next three at Washington,

Minnesota and New Jersey, teams with a combined 58-162 record.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.