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.
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