James keys Cavs' late comeback as Cleveland wins third straight



The standout forward finished with 38 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
ATLANTA (AP) -- LeBron James didn't appreciate a fan's attempt to disrupt his concentration with a laser pointer.
So he took out his frustration on the bumbling Atlanta Hawks.
"Those things can damage your eyes something bad," James said. "I was standing at the foul line in the fourth quarter when the ref noticed a red dot near my forehead. That's pretty serious."
James had 38 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers won their third straight game, 106-97 on Wednesday night.
Police said they couldn't find anyone shining a laser pointer from the end zone near the Hawks' bench.
James added that this game was the first in his three-year career that a fan used a laser light against him.
"They're like those things guys used in high school," James said. "I hope it's the last we see of them."
Key run
The Cavaliers were winning 94-93 with 3:17 left when Donyell Marshall hit a 3-pointer that started a 12-4 run that ended the game. Marshall, who buried another 3 with 58.1 seconds remaining for a 104-95 lead, also complained to the officiating crew about the laser light as he stood at the foul line with 9:49 remaining.
"They were more when we were shooting our free throws," Marshall said. "I couldn't really tell when I was shooting my jump shots."
James, the NBA's third-leading scorer, hit 15 of 20 free-throw attempts, compared to 16 of 22 for the Hawks. He scored on consecutive possessions early in the fourth, the second of which came on a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 92-86 lead.
"Coming off a back-to-back, with a big win last night against Indiana, it would have been easy for us to not bring intensity," James said. "Early on, our team didn't have intensity. I saw that and I had to pretty much take over matters. I've been able to take my team on my back."
Not enough
Joe Johnson scored 24 points and Al Harrington added 22 for the Hawks, who have lost seven of their last nine.
Johnson committed three of his four turnovers in the fourth quarter. Harrington had one in the third.
"In a close game like this, you're battling and you can't afford turnovers and allow them to score," Harrington said. "When they were shooting free throws, we were taking jump shots. It doesn't work that way. You've got to attack the basket."
Atlanta's biggest lead, 30-18, came on two free throws by Zaza Pachulia late in the first, but the Hawks couldn't hold a 73-63 advantage after Harrington hit a long jumper at the 4:54 mark of the third and a 21-footer 31 seconds later.
"In the third quarter, everything was smooth," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. "We were moving the basketball. We got good shots and we came out of the quarter up by six. Then in the fourth quarter, we got complacent and wouldn't move the basketball, and that resulted in some key turnovers that they capitalized on. That was the difference in the game."
Cavs forward Drew Gooden finished with 14 rebounds.
Cleveland outscored Atlanta 23-8 on fast-break points, including a layup by James that cut the Hawks' lead to 82-80 with 10:25 left in the game.
James had two of his three steals in the fourth.
Each of Marshall's four field goals was a 3-pointer. He attempted six shots beyond the arc, eight overall.
"I'm never satisfied," Marshall said. "I think I'm hard on myself. I get yelled at from my teammates a lot when I miss a shot or two. I'm yelling at myself, no matter if we win or lose. Right now, I'm not happy. I think I can shoot a lot better than what my percentage is showing."