NBA Boozer, James lead Cavs to win

Cleveland snapped an eight-game losing streak to Detroit, 95-86.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Carlos Boozer didn't care if his best game as a pro came on national TV, a local cable station or was caught by closed-circuit cameras.
The Cavaliers won, and that's all that mattered.
Boozer scored a career-high 28 points and rookie LeBron James had 23 with nine assists as Cleveland finally won a nationally-televised game, 95-86 over the Detroit Pistons Thursday night.
"We needed this win so bad," said Boozer, who outplayed Detroit All-Star Ben Wallace. "We have been struggling of late, and to be able to beat a good team like that is a huge lift."
Boozer gave the Cavs a big lift, too, adding nine rebounds while banging underneath with Wallace.
"This is what I envision from him," Cavs coach Paul Silas said of Boozer, the second-year forward who missed six games earlier this season with a sprained ankle. "He was just sensational. The sky has to be the limit for him."
Different game plan
James, whose addition to the Cavs has given them unprecedented exposure, expectations and pressure, helped Cleveland improve to 1-5 in prime-time telecasts.
"We finally got one," said James, who followed Silas' orders and drove to the basket more than he has all season.
Cleveland has won just two of its last 11, but this was a victory that the Cavaliers may one day look back at as the night they became James' team.
The No. 1 overall pick has been reluctant to take on a leadership role, but with 22 games now under his belt, James thinks it may be time for him to start showing the way.
"I haven't made myself the complete leader of this team," he said. "I've been a leader my whole life. I don't want to let anyone down. I never want to be a follower."
Cleveland snapped an eight-game losing streak to Detroit. The Cavs hadn't beaten the Pistons since Dec. 4, 2001.
The win was also Cleveland's first over a team with a winning record since the Cavs defeated New Orleans last April 5.
Ricky Davis, whose name continually pops up in trade rumors, had 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
He also had a vicious dunk, cutting through four Pistons in the fourth quarter to throw one down as the Cavs were putting it away.
Hamilton held in check
Richard Hamilton, who scored a career-high 44 points in a win over Cleveland on Nov. 28, led the Pistons with 19 points but was bottled up by the Cavs.
Tayshaun Prince added 14 points for Detroit, which shot just 36 percent from the field, was outrebounded 45-28 and has lost three straight.
"We're playing losing basketball right now," Wallace said. "I'll take the blame, it's my fault for letting guys give little effort. We've got to get down and play guys, and we've got to share the ball."
Leading by nine entering the fourth, the Cavs scored the first seven points of the final period and held off Detroit by executing down the stretch for one of the first times this season.
"We've been playing well for about three quarters," Boozer said, "and then giving up the lead in the last or eight minutes. Tonight, we all concentrated, got big stops and came away with the victory."