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Happy Birthday, LeBron: Cavs Down Hawks, 106-101
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - On LeBron James' 25th birthday, it was Anderson Varejao that got the gift, hitting his first career three-pointer to break a tie game with 17.2 seconds remaining, as Cleveland topped Atlanta, 106-101, in the conclusion of a home-and-home series between the Eastern Conference powers.
Varejao had missed all 18 of his career three-point attempts, but as the shot clock was winding down in a 101-101 tie, the 6-foot-11 forward pulled up from the left wing and sank the go-ahead basket.
Mike Bibby missed a three-point try at the other end to help the Cavaliers hold on for their sixth straight win and 11th in 12 contests.
James ended with a season-high 48 points on 15-of-23 shooting to go with 10 rebounds and six assists. Varejao and Mo Williams each scored 14, with the former pulling down nine rebounds and the latter dishing out 10 assists.
Joe Johnson scored 35 points for the Hawks, while Bibby chipped in 20 points and six helpers.
Atlanta led for most of the game but got outscored 10-2 in the final 2:50 to fall for the eighth straight time to Cleveland, which includes a four-game sweep in the second round of last season’s playoffs.
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