Los Angeles - LeBron James lost the shootout to fellow-superstar Dwyane Wade, but the NBA'a reigning MVP stepped up late, to keep the bragging rights over his close friend. James scored 34 points - two less than Wade - and the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat 111-104 on Thursday night for their sixth win in the last seven games.
With the victory, James raised his career head-to-head record to 11-9 against Wade, since they both entered the NBA in 2003.
"When you go against one of the best players in the league, it's like playing your brother outside in the backyard," James said. "You don't want him to get the upper edge. You don't want them bragging and talking about it all week.
"Me and D-Wade are always competing. We are friends and everything, but when we are out on the court we are fierce rivals."
Said Wade: "I like playing against LeBron more than anybody else in the league. He brings out the best in me, and I bring out the best in him."
Mo Williams fired in 25 points with five 3-pointers, JJ, Hickson contributed a career-high 18 and Shaquille O'Neal finished with 14 against his former team as Cleveland (6-3) earned its second victory in as many nights after beating defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando on Wednesday.
Michael Beasley had 24 points and Jermaine O'Neal added 15 for Miami (6-2) which trailed virtually the entire game as it's three-game winning streak came to an end.
"I'm disappointed, overall, in giving up 111 points," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "I think we all feel this wasn't anywhere near our best game. We won't win many games like that."
With Michael Jordan watching from a courtside seat next to Heat president Pat Riley, James and Wade put on an entertaining battle to the delight of the 19,600 fans at the sold out AmericanAirlines Arena.
Miami trailed by 11 with eight minutes left, but Wade scored nine points, including a pair of three-pointers to fuel an 11-4 run, drawing the Heat within 103-99 with 3:08 remaining.
James answered with a back-breaking three-pointer of his own from the right wing, and sank five free throws in the final 2:42 to make it 111-102, sealing the Cavaliers' victory.
"He closed the game with a killer instinct in the right way on both ends of the floor," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "Man, for me that was so much fun to watch. It's indescribable almost. He willed the end of the game to go the way it did. It was flat-out beautiful, like Picasso."
Elsewhere: LA Lakers 121, Phoenix Suns 102 It wasn't supposed to be this easy, but the Lakers aren't complaining.
Kobe Bryant scored 29 points, Andrew Bynum returned from a two- game absence (strained right elbow) to collect 26 points with 15 rebounds, and the Lakers cooled off the red-hot Suns for their sixth straight victory.
"We are trying to coral a team that's been scoring out of this world, so I'm very pleased with the effort," Bryant said. "I think it was good execution on our part."
Reserve Josh Powell scored 14 points for the defending champion Lakers (7-1) who shot a sizzling 58 per cent from the field (53-of-92)in the home blowout between the clubs with the best records in the Western Conference.
Jared Dudley had 14 points off the bench, Steve Nash added 13 with five assists for Phoenix (8-2), which had its four-game winning streak stopped after being held to a season-low 36.5 per cent (38-of-104) field goal shooting.
