LeBron lays down the law

James takes care of business as Cavaliers knot series with Pacers

CLEVELAND - The situation was dire, requiring dominance.

Naturally, LeBron James delivered.

No surprise there.

Taking matters into his own hands, James scored 46 points and added 12 rebounds on Wednesday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back from a poor performance in the series opener by holding off the Indiana Pacers 100-97 to even their Eastern Conference playoff matchup at one game apiece.

Dazzling from the start, James scored the game's first 16 points and had 29 at halftime, ruling the floor as he has done in so many previous postseasons.

"I played my game," he said.

But in a season in which nothing has been easy for the Cavs, Cleveland was lucky that Indiana's Victor Oladipo missed a wide-open 3-pointer that would have tied the score with 27 seconds left.

"I got a clean look, I shot and I just missed," Oladipo said, shrugging his shoulders. "If I had that look again, I would take it every time."

Kevin Love scored 15, but Cleveland's All-Star center jammed his left thumb - the same hand he broke earlier this season - while deflecting a pass and sat out the final 3:43 left with the Cavs clinging to a slim lead.

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Love could have returned, adding "he's fine" for Game 3 on Friday.

As long as James is OK, the Cavs will always have a chance.

Lue shook up his starting lineup for Game 2 and Kyle Korver contributed 12 points, all on 3s, made several hustling plays and took two charges.

Oladipo scored 22 - he was in early foul trouble - and Myles Turner had 18 for the Pacers, who shocked the Cavs with an overpowering win in Game 1 and head home full of confidence.

Indiana clawed back from an 18-point deficit and was within 95-92 when Oladipo, who scored 32 in the opener, somehow came free off a screen but missed maybe his easiest shot in two games.

James grabbed the rebound and made three free throws over the final 22 seconds.

The 33-year-old James was expected to be more aggressive than in Game 1, when he was unusually passive, deferred to teammates and at times looked hesitant in the first playoff-opening loss of his career.