Cavs take on Celtics in Beantown

On Sunday, the Cavs got LeBron James back from an ankle injury and the star guard scored a team-high 17 points in a 104-92 loss to Washington at the Verizon Center.

James, who missed a game because of the problem, could rest for Cleveland’s final two regular-season games before the playoffs. The Cavs are the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference standings.

Cleveland has lost two in a row and three of its last five road games. It owns an 18-22 mark as the visitor this season and is 3-3 in its last six games overall.

The Celtics, meanwhile, have dropped four straight and five of six, including Sunday’s 95-93 loss to the New Jersey Nets in the back end of a home-and-home series.

Gerald Green contributed 19 points and six assists and Kendrick Perkins totaled 16 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who played without Paul Pierce (left elbow bursitis) and Delonte West (left calf strain).

Rookie Ryan Gomes scored 15 in the loss.

Pierce is doubtful for Boston, which has lost four in a row at home and is 20-19 in Beantown this season.

Monday’s game between Cleveland and Boston is the fourth and final meeting of the 2005-06 season.

The Cavaliers have won all three meetings so far this season and four straight overall against Boston.

Cleveland has won six of the last seven matchups and two straight in Boston. Before the two-game win streak in Massachusetts, the Cavs had dropped 12 in a row at the Celtics.