LeBron leads Cavs to 11th straight victory

It wasn’t the sharpest night at the office as a team, but LeBron James put the Cavaliers on his back in the fourth quarter to guide a 116-111 win over the Grizzlies, the Cavs’ 11th straight victory.

The Cavaliers’ winning streak was in unexpected jeopardy before LeBron James took over.

James scored 34 points, including seven in the final 1:22, and Cleveland beat the Grizzlies, 116-111, for their 11th straight victory Dec. 2 at Quicken Loans Arena.

The loss was the 11th straight for Memphis, including three since David Fizdale was fired Monday and replaced by interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, but the Grizzlies nearly ended their streak in shocking fashion. Memphis trailed, 91-72, late in the third, but rallied all the way to tie at 109 on Dillon Brooks’ 3-pointer with 2:10 left.

That’s when James stepped up, to the surprise of no one in the building, particularly Dwyane Wade.

“You just shake your head,” Wade said. “It’s impressive, man. When you’re on a team and you have a guy when the game gets close and you can get him the ball and he comes through, maybe not all the time but it seems like every time ... we know he’s going to make the right play.”

James’ basket in the lane gave Cleveland the lead. After Tyreke Evans missed a 3-pointer, James drove the lane, scored and converted the three-point play after being fouled by Brooks with 34 seconds left. Brooks made two free throws, but James dribbled for several seconds on Cleveland’s next possession and hit a jumper from the top of the key for a fivepoint lead with 5 seconds left.

“When it’s winning time in the fourth quarter, my teammates want me to step up and do what I do best,” said James, who scored or assisted on Cleveland’s last 17 points.

“That effort tonight would have beaten 90 percent of this league on their home court,” Bickerstaff said. “Unfortunately, they’ve got a guy who is pretty darn good.”