CLEVELAND _ When asked his starting lineup before the game, Clippers coach Doc Rivers jokingly said, "My fighting lineup?"
That proved to be true, despite the Clippers' six consecutive losses coming in after a 4-0 start. The visitors from Los Angeles forced the Cavaliers to work much harder than expected Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena before the Cavs prevailed 118-113 in overtime.
The Cavs thought they were building something during a four-game road trip that concluded Wednesday. Although they had to work overtime, their defensive effort after halftime seemed to indicate their determination not to take a step backward.
LeBron James poured in 16 points in the fourth quarter, including a string of 10 of the Cavs' last 12 points that tied the game at 105 with 47.9 seconds left.
Forced to an extra period, a free throw by James gave the Cavs their first lead of the game with 4:41 left and J.R. Smith followed by dribbling the length of the court for a powerful dunk.
Two consecutive 3-pointers by Kevin Love then gave the Cavs breathing room and they held on for their fourth consecutive win, their longest streak of the season.
James finished with 39 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in 46 minutes.
Clippers star Blake Griffin was held to 8-of-25 shooting from the field, scoring 23 points with 12 rebounds. DeAndre Jordan scored 20 points with 22 rebounds.
Before the tip the Cavs announced that point guard Derrick Rose would miss two to three more weeks with a sprained left ankle that has already cost him nine games. The ranks got even thinner when Iman Shumpert, again starting for Rose, was forced to sit after halftime with left knee soreness that has bothered him much of the season.
Jose Calderon took over at the point to start the third quarter, but Cavs coach Tyronn Lue soon went to Jeff Green and a host of others.
Love pitched in 25 points, hitting 3 of 7 from long range, with eight rebounds.
Second unit leader Dwyane Wade came to the Cavs' rescue, playing 37 minutes and finishing with 23 points, a season-high tying 11 rebounds and five assists. Wade, 35, recorded his second double-double of the season and the 125th of his career.
Even when Tristan Thompson is healthy, the Cavs don't have a true rim protector and he was sorely missed as the Clippers pounded the Cavs with a 64-46 edge in points in the paint. Jordan was virtually unstoppable, hitting 10 of 12 field goals.
The Clippers broke open a 56-all halftime tie, taking an 80-66 lead with 3:14 left in the third quarter. But after claiming a 38-24 edge in points in the paint after two quarters, the Clippers went to their 3-point attack, hitting 4 of their first 7 attempts beyond the arc.
The Cavs closed the third quarter with a 12-0 run and trailed 81-78 going into the final period.
But the Clippers opened a 94-84 advantage with 8:23 remaining, with Austin Rivers scoring nine of the Clippers' first 13 points and totaling 14 of his 16 in the second half.
But the Cavs weren't ready to fold. They cut the deficit to 101-99 with 3:09 to go, with Kyle Korver providing seven points and James six in a 15-7 surge.
Wade poured in 17 points in the second quarter to help the Cavs rally from a 12-0 deficit to start the game. Playing 15 of the first 24 minutes, Wade connected on 11 of 12 free throws in the first half and scored 19 points, with five rebounds and two assists.
With Lue cancelling shootaround to give the Cavs more rest after a four-game road trip, the Cavs looked like their lethargic selves in the first quarter. They missed their first 10 shots before Love broke the drought on an assist from James with 7:15 left in the first quarter.
