Cavs make it four straight wins against Golden State

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James kept asking for the ball in the paint and made big plays there down the stretch.

With the Warriors going small, he took advantage of the mismatch.

James had 37 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds and the Cleveland Cavaliers ran their winning streak against Golden State to four with a 117-114 victory Monday night.

“It’s a point in my game I worked on a lot this offseason and it’s something I know I can go to throughout the game,” James said of backing down his defender. “Tonight was a perfect time for it.”

Shaquille O’Neal added 13 points and six rebounds and three Cleveland reserves scored in double digits as well in the Cavs’ fourth straight win at Oracle Arena.

After a victory at Portland on Sunday, the Cavaliers won playing on consecutive nights for the sixth time in 11 tries this season but had to hold off a late rally by the Warriors in this one.

Monta Ellis had a steal and quick baseline 3-pointer with 57.9 seconds left to pull Golden State within 115-112, then James answered on the other end.

“That was normal LeBron, nothing special, nothing spectacular,” Ellis said.

Stephen Curry’s layup for Golden State moments later again made it a three-point game and James missed a 3 on the other end with 5.3 seconds left. Curry’s desperation 3 from 34 feet at the buzzer was short.

“It was like the last six minutes the clock just never ran for some odd reason,” James said. “It was the slowest six minutes I’ve ever been a part of. They kept making shots but we were able to make one stop. We just needed one stop and we were able to get that.”

Ellis, trying to make a push for the Warriors’ first All-Star nod since Latrell Sprewell in 1997, scored 30 points to go with five assists and five steals, but missed 11 straight shots during a stretch spanning the second and third quarters.

Corey Maggette added 32 points and seven rebounds for Golden State, which was denied its first three-game winning streak of the season.