CLEVELAND — With the game building to its crescendo and the crowd expecting the MVP candidates to soar, LeBron and D-Wade simply stepped aside.

Mo Williams took over.

Williams scored 12 of his 29 points in the final 7:12 and LeBron James recorded a triple-double as the Cleveland Cavaliers quickly shook off any hangover from a disappointing loss at Boston by beating Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, 99-89, last night.

Unleashing his full offensive repertoire on the Heat, Williams showed why the Cavaliers have a legitimate shot at winning an NBA title this season.

Finally, James has a partner he can count on.

"Mo's a great player," said James, who finished with 14 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. "It's no surprise to us what he can do out there. It's kind of surprising to you guys because you're not used to having two guys put up these kind of numbers on the same (Cleveland) team. It's been a while, since what, Brad Daugherty and Mark Price?"

Wade was ejected — for the first time in his career — in the final minute after being assessed a second technical foul. Miami's superstar was upset after he didn't get a call in the lane with the Heat down by just six points. He finished with 25 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds before being sent to the showers.

"We felt we got some bad calls," Wade said calmly. "Tempers got hot. I felt I got fouled and there was no call. So my temper got hot. I deserved the tech. That's it."

While running their home record to 28-1, the Cavaliers, outclassed by the Celtics on Friday night, improved to a league-best 13-2 in back-to-back games. They are also 12-1 following a loss.

Delonte West added 19 points for the Cavaliers, who played their fifth game in seven nights.

Hawks 87, Pistons 83: Josh Smith scored 19 points, Al Horford added 18 and they each grabbed 12 rebounds to help host Atlanta end Detroit's four-game winning streak. Smith started despite an altercation Friday night in the locker room at halftime with Hawks coach Mike Woodson. Before the game, Smith and Woodson both met with reporters and insisted their relationship doesn't need mending.

Bucks 127, Warriors 120: Richard Jefferson scored a season-high 35 points and host Milwaukee held off a big rally by Jamal Crawford and beat Golden State. Crawford scored 15 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter as Milwaukee squandered a 13-point lead, but the Bucks never let Golden State take a lead late.

Bobcats 114, Knicks 105: Gerald Wallace had 23 points and 13 rebounds, and visiting Charlotte beat New York for its franchise-record sixth straight victory. Boris Diaw added 22 points for the Bobcats, which pulled within a game of Chicago for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Mavericks 119, Wizards 103: Dirk Nowitzki scored 34 points, Jason Terry equaled a season-high with 33 and host Dallas handed Washington its fifth straight loss. Nowitzki had nine rebounds and a season-high seven assists, and Antoine Wright scored 16 points for Dallas.

Trail Blazers 95, Timberwolves 93: Brandon Roy scored 31 points and host Portland edged Minnesota. LaMarcus Aldridge added 15 points and 11 rebounds, Travis Outlaw had 14 points and nine rebounds and Nicolas Batum added 12 points and six rebounds for the Blazers, winners of 11 straight at home and eight in a row over Minnesota.

76ers 110, Grizzlies 105: Andre Iguodala scored 24 points, and Andre Miller added 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as visiting Philadelphia beat Memphis. Louis Williams added 18 points off the bench, and Thaddeus Young had 14 points for the 76ers.

Hornets 108, Thunder 90: Chris Paul had 21 points and 13 assists, and host New Orleans won its seventh straight game. Julian Wright tied a career high with 20 points and Rasual Butler also scored 20 for the Hornets, while David West had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Pacers 106, Clippers 105: Jarret Jack scored nine of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and made a key steal in the final seconds, leading visiting Indiana over Los Angeles. Troy Murphy had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Pacers.

NOTES

Law and order: Former NBA star Charles Barkley began serving a three-day jail sentence yesterday in Phoenix for a drunken-driving charge.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Barkley, 45, already had been acting like a "model inmate," even chatting with others at Tent City, where inmates are housed in tents rather than traditional jail cells.

Arpaio said Barkley is not being given special treatment and has a separate tent for his own safety.

Barkley pleaded guilty last month to two misdemeanor DUI charges stemming from his Dec. 31 arrest, shortly after leaving a Scottsdale nightclub and failing a field sobriety test. He had a blood-alcohol level of .149 percent, nearly twice the legal limit.