• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Cavs top Lakers

Jan 15, 2014 - 6:42 AM Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Luol Deng poured in 27 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers held off the Los Angeles Lakers for a 120-118 win on Tuesday.

Deng was 5-for-5 from 3-point range for Cleveland, which finished 13-of-17 from distance overall.

Anderson Varejao added 18 points and 18 rebounds, Tristan Thompson had 15 points and 13 boards and Dion Waiters chipped in with 17 points off the bench for the Cavaliers, winners in three of their last four.

Tuesday marked the first time Cavs head coach Mike Brown returned to the Staples Center since he was fired by LA early last season.

"We found a way to win. Give our guys credit, they scrapped their way to a win. We have to understand we have to defend first. We did enough just to get a win," Brown said.

Nick Young poured in a game-high 28 points, Jodie Meeks scored 26 and Pau Gasol finished with 20 points and 12 boards for the Lakers, losers in five straight.

"When the game could have turned we couldn't get the rebound. Give them credit, they made 13-of-17 3's. We just didn't have enough to overcome that," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said.

The Cavs trailed 63-57 entering the second half, but used a 22-6 run to take a 79-69 lead with 6:07 remaining in the third.

The Lakers managed to pull within two, 82-80, after a Meeks trey at the 2:27 mark and Cleveland led 88-85 entering the final frame.

Kendall Marshall drained a 3-pointer three minutes into the fourth to put the Lakers up 100-96, but the Cavs used a 21-5 run to go up 115-105.

The Lakers trailed 118-113 as Young was fouled attempting a 3-pointer with 25.3 ticks showing. Young knocked down the free throws to make it 118-116, but Thompson went 2-for-4 from the free throw line down the stretch to make it a two-possession game.

Gasol's layup at the buzzer accounted for the final difference.

Cleveland led 28-23 after the first quarter, but LA outscored the Cavs 40-29 in the second to take a 63-57 lead into the break.

Game Notes

Kyrie Irving finished with 13 points for the Cavs ... Cleveland outrebounded LA by a 48-35 margin ... Meeks set a season-high with 26 points ... Young tied a career-high with six assists ... Marshall finished with 10 points and 16 assists for LA. Since joining the starting lineup on Jan. 3 Marshall has recorded double-digit assists in five of seven games.