Cleveland used a 15-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter to breakaway from a six-point lead.  The Suns cut the score to 92-86 on Jared Dudley’s layup.  Cleveland’s head coach Mike Brown called a timeout to regroup his team.  The strategy worked.  James first fed Mo Williams for a 23-footer and then feed Anderson Varejao for a reverse dunk, effectively cutting off what little hope the Suns had left.

James was top scorer of the game with 29 points.  Williams finished the night with 24 points, including 5-of-7 from downtown.  O’Neal was a non-factor early and ended the night with only three points and five rebounds in a little over 19 minutes.  All five starters, including J.J. Hickson and Anthony Parker, had no less the five rebounds each.  Delonte West had six assists; Williams had five assists and James had four assists.

Steve Nash led the Suns with 18 points and 10 assists.  Amar’e Stoudemire had 14 points and 12 rebounds but was in foul trouble for most of the night.  Channing Frye was also in foul trouble early and ended with 13 points and five rebounds.  Grant Hill had 12 points and Dudley had 11 points off the bench.  Jason Richardson never got on track, only connecting on three jump shots on 10 attempts for eight points.

Phoenix was pleased with their effort early in the game, leading after the first quarter 30-29.  Cleveland, coming off a 102-95 loss to the Dallas Mavericks the night before, caught their second wind early and erased a six-point deficit at 6:19 in the second.  Cleveland went into the locker room at halftime leading 59-53. The Cavaliers would never fall behind again.

The Suns managed to tie the game at 65 on a 13-foot Nash jumper but Phoenix struggled to contain James and Williams.  The Suns only scored 38 points in the second half and gave up 30 points to Cleveland on 19 turnovers.

“Overall we did a good job,” says Phoenix head coach Alvin Gentry.  “Every time we had a chance to really the pressure on them, where we could make it a one or two-point game or even a three-point game, we couldn’t put it [the ball] in the basket.  [You’ve] Got to give them [the Cavaliers] a lot of credit.  At the end of the day its one loss and we’ll regroup and be ready to go on Wednesday.”

Phoenix (18-10), who leads the league in total road games to date, play had home for the second straight game on Wednesday, December 23.  The Suns take on Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder (13-13) in a 7:00 pm MST matchup.  The game will have particular interest for Phoenicians as former ASU standout James Harden comes home for the first time as a pro.  Harden was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft.

King James and the Cavaliers (21-8) travel to Sacramento (13-14) to battle the Kings on Wednesday, December 23.  Tipoff is 7:00 pm PST.