Cavaliers (26-7), Pelicans (14-22)
CLEVELAND – New Orleans was seeking a statement victory Monday, a win against a high-level opponent to back up the Pelicans’ recent excellent play and four-game winning streak. For about 45 minutes, they played the defending NBA champions evenly on their home floor and had a chance to do so, but then the sport's premier player took over. With Cleveland up 84-82 in the final minutes, LeBron James sank four straight free throws, then buried a jumper with 1:48 left, pushing it from a two-point edge to eight. New Orleans led 69-67 entering the fourth quarter, then spent virtually the entire final period within reach of Cleveland, but shot poorly, unable to cap off what would’ve been a momentous win and road upset.