James' shooting wins it for Cavs

ONE big, back-breaking shot was not going to bail out the Cavaliers.

So LeBron James made another.

He dropped two crucial three-pointers in the last minute to help Cleveland beat New Orleans 97-89 in a National Basketball Association game on Tuesday.

James, who finished with 35 points, knocked down a 25-footer from the top of the key with 49.9 seconds left, and then nailed another three-pointer from nearly the same spot with 24.2 seconds remaining.

The Hornets' defensive strategy down the stretch was to force James to take the toughest shots possible.

They were able to do that, but what they did not bank on was James making them anyway.

'We got what we wanted,' Hornets forward David West said.

'He took a three-pointer with a hand in his face. He just knocked it down. We know he's going to take the shot.

'You've got to live with him hitting a 27-footer or whatever it was he hit.'

Cleveland improved to 14-8 against Western Conference teams - the top mark among Eastern squads.

The Hornets have lost six straight in Cleveland.

ASSOCIATED PRESS