NOTEBOOK | From 'The Q'

Tights all right: Cavs forward LeBron James improved to 2-0 while wearing full-length compression tights on both legs. He scored 51 points in a 108-90 win over Utah on Saturday. He's wearing the tights to relieve the pain in his knee -- Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has also worn them this season -- and said he hasn't thought about wearing a knee brace instead. "No, never," he said. "I don't look good in braces. I'll wear the tights before I wear a knee brace." The tights keep his legs warm when he's sitting down in the game. "When you come out of a game, your legs are not as warm as they are when you're in a game," he said. "Anyone who's ever had a knee injury knows that once it gets cold, it's hard to get it warm again."
Good defense: The Cavaliers held the Pacers to .325 shooting from the field (26 of 80), which was the best defensive effort of the season for Cleveland. The previous low came against Detroit on Dec. 31, when the Cavs held the Pistons to .358 shooting. Cleveland is 5-1 when holding opponents under .400 from the field.
Another quality win: Cleveland improved to 10-1 at home against teams with a record of .500 or better. "We have a tendency to play to the level of our competition," said James. Cleveland needs to avoid that tradition tonight against the lowly Atlanta Hawks. The Cavaliers lost to the Hawks 100-94 on Dec. 13, although Cleveland was playing without center Zydrunas Ilguaskas in that game because of a sprained right knee. "It's tough to play back-to-back, but we owe them one," said Cavs forward Drew Gooden.
Small fight: The teams engaged in a small skirmish midway through the third quarter when Gooden was fouled hard. The fight drew four technicals, two on each team. When asked about the skirmish, Gooden said, "What skirmish? There were a lot of skirmishes." Translation: No comment.
Miscellaneous notes: Tuesday's 30-point win was the Cavaliers' largest of the season, eclipsing a 27-point win against Seattle on Nov. 9. The 66 points was also the lowest point total for a Cavaliers opponent this season. (The previous low was 70 points by Memphis in the season opener.) The last Cavalier opponent to score 66 points was Charlotte, which scored 66 on Dec. 5, 2000.
Joe Scalzo