The Cleveland Cavaliers (42 - 17) defeated the Indiana Pacers (31 - 29) 100 - 96 on Monday. A day of rest for LeBron James on Sunday turned into one of calamity for his teammates, as they looked woefully ineffective in losing to the Washington Wizards by a 113 - 99 score that belied the extent of the winning team's dominance. James returned from his one - game sabbatical Monday, but Cleveland still had its work cut out for it in a matchup against their division rivals. Although LeBron looked refreshed while posting a game - high 33 points, Indiana countered with a pair of standout performances from Monta Ellis and Paul George. After a Cleveland comeback from a 94 - 91 deficit at the 1:30 mark of the fourth quarter, the nip - and - tuck battle came down for one last three - point attempt for George with two seconds left. The All-Star forward had drained four of his eight tries from beyond the arc leading up to that moment, but his 26 - footer missed its target, clinching a much - needed victory for a struggling Cleveland squad fighting to hold on to the top Eastern Conference seed. Ellis' 28 points paced the visitors, and he added two assists, a rebound and a steal. George followed closely behind with 23 points, eight rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals. George Hill was the only other member of the starting five with double - digit scoring, collecting 11 points, five assists and a pair of rebounds. Chase Budinger led the Pacers reserves with 11 points, four boards, a steal and a block. Indiana remains tied for second place with the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference's Central Division, and for the eighth seed as well. They now head to Milwaukee for a Wednesday evening tilt versus the Bucks. James added five rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals to his scoring haul. Kyrie Irving, the only Cavalier who looked like he'd come to play in Sunday's lackluster outing, put together a 22 - point, six - assist, three - rebound performance that also included a steal. Kevin Love bounced back from a forgettable effort versus the Wizards with 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists. J.R. Smith overcame a tough first half to finish with 11 points, three rebounds and a steal. Tristan Thompson responded to his move to the bench by providing a 14 - point, 11 - rebound double - double that also included a block. The Cavs retain first place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division, and the top seed in the conference by two and a half games over the Toronto Raptors. They remain home to take on the Washington Wizards on Friday night.
["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 17 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 26 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 26 Points in 4th quarter ,has 42 Wins ."
 "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 29 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 31 Points in 2nd quarter ."]