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Varejao scores game-winning basket as Cavs edge Bucks

Mar 11, 2007 - 7:21 AM MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- Superstar LeBron James took over in the final quarter, but Anderson Varejao finished it off.

James had 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds and Varejao scored the go-ahead basket with 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 94-92 triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Cavaliers (37-25) have won four straight games to pull within two games of idle Detroit (38-22) for first place in the Eastern Conference and home-court advantage throughout the conference playoffs.

"(Saturday's) game again shows that we're heading in the right direction," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "There are things we have to work on defensively, offensively, but the trust is starting to show."

It was James' sixth consecutive time in nine games following the NBA All-Star break that he has been able to reach the 30-point plateau. Cleveland is 6-3 during this stretch.

"It's just the way the team has been playing, we didn't quit," James said. "We didn't play our best basketball, we know that, but we found a way to win and that's what it's about."

With the game tied at 61-61 in the third quarter, Milwaukee bridged an impressive 14-4 burst capped by Ruben Patterson's 15-foot jumper for a 75-64 advantage with 10 1/2 minutes remaining.

However, the Cavaliers battled back, tying the contest once again at 92-92 when James scored two of his 18 fourth-quarter points on a driving layup against Patterson with 43 seconds left to play.

After keeping Milwaukee scoreless on its next possession, James found a slicing Varejao off a pick-and-roll in the lane for the game-winning basket with 11 seconds left.

The Bucks still had a chance to win in regulation or force overtime, but Michael Redd misfired on a pull-up jumper against veteran Eric Snow as time expired.

"We get down the stretch and we try not to lose the game instead of win the game," Milwaukee guard Mo Williams said. "I think that's where we are now. We're just not doing the right thing down the stretch to win games. That's the bottom line."

Redd finished with 29 points and Patterson added 24 off the bench for Milwaukee, which controlled the paint to hold a 54-32 advantage in points.

"We've been close with a lot of good teams," Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. "I'm disappointed for our team. I'm sad ... that we haven't came away with a win."