LeBron’s triple-double leads Cavs

Cleveland, OH (Basketball News) - LeBron James posted his third career triple- double with 40 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a much-needed 98-81 victory over Milwaukee on Saturday.

James shot 15-of-26 from the floor and made seven of his 13 three-point attempts for the Cavaliers, who snapped a three-game losing streak and remained tied with Philadelphia for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

"I’ve never cared about statistics. I just go out and play my game and they seem to come," James said. "The win is the most important thing right now."

The 76ers, who own the tie-breaker with Cleveland, beat Washington on Saturday night.

Drew Gooden added 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Cavaliers, and Jeff McInnis scored 22.

Michael Redd had 26 points to lead the Bucks, who have lost 10 of their last 12 games overall and four straight in Cleveland. Desmond Mason added 12 points before he was ejected with 8:02 remaining in the third quarter for picking up his second technical foul.

In a game they needed to win, the Cavaliers came out aggressive, shooting 59 percent in the first half for a 62-39 lead at the break.

When the Milwaukee defense caught up, James took over. He scored 28 of his 40 points in the half, including 22 in the second quarter alone.

The game was tied 24-24 late in the first period before Cleveland opened it up with a 30-11 run to take a 54-35 lead. James had 13 points during the surge and hit five three-pointers in the second quarter.

"They did everything they wanted," said Bucks coach Terry Porter. "We had no resistance whatsoever."

The Cavaliers led by as many as 25 points just after halftime, but Milwaukee pulled within 81-69 with an 8-0 run that bridged the third and fourth quarter.

The Bucks were as close as 10 points late in the fourth quarter, but the outcome was never in doubt.

James completed his triple-double with a rebound a 3:42 of fourth quarter. All three of his triple-doubles have come this season.