With LeBron James not in uniform Wednesday night while getting some much needed rest, the pressure was on Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving to carry the team as the Dallas Mavericks paid a visit to Quicken Loans Arena.
Up by as many as 20 points at one point, the Eastern Conference leaders saw their advantage on the scoreboard slowly slip away as Dallas cut the lead to just two during the final moments of the fourth quarter.
With a chance to tie things up at 97 apiece, Mavericks guard Devin Harris had his pass intercepted by Irving as he looked to get the ball in Dirk Nowitzki's hands.
Two made free throws by Irving were enough to keep Cleveland up for good, as the Cavaliers held on for a 99-98 victory.
Irving finished with a game-high 33 points on 13-of-18 shooting in 38 minutes of action. He also chipped in five rebounds and one assist, helping his team improve to 48-19 on the season.
With the victory, the team improved to just 3-12 dating back to last season when James doesn't play.
