James hits game-winner at OT buzzer, Cavs beat Timberwolves

LeBron James had a 37-point triple-double, including a game-winning shot as time expired, to lead the Cavs to a thrilling 140-138 OT win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Q on Wednesday night.

James was sensational down the stretch, tying the game with a layup with 24 seconds remaining in overtime before blocking a potential go-ahead basket by Jimmy Butler on the Wolves' final possession. Jeff Green then found James with one second remaining, and he hit a fade away from 18 feet as time expired.

The Quicken Loans Arena crowd erupted and James was mobbed by teammates as the struggling Cavs, who have won just seven of their last 20 games, finally had something to celebrate after weeks of tension and turmoil in a season slowly slipping away.

"One second in the game, it's a tough play — and he made a hell of a shot," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said. "You don't want to foul him, and I thought KAT (Towns) had great pressure on the ball. LeBron was in command of the game offensively and handling the basketball. LeBron can read the game better than anyone in the league."

James finished the game with 37 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds for his ninth triple-double of the season. Only Russell Westbrook (16) has more. He also passed Zydrunas Ilgauskas (5,904) on Cleveland’s rebounds list.

"The way we've been playing, we needed that," said Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, who was back on the bench after falling ill Tuesday night in Orlando. "He was very special."

JR Smith finished with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, which is just the second time he's hit the 20-point mark this season. He scored 17 points in the first half, knocking down five threes to help James keep the Cavs in the game.Tristan Thompson (17 points), Isaiah Thomas (13 points, seven assists) and Jae Crowder (10 points) each joined them in double figures. Kyle Korver added 14 points and Green had 13 off the bench.

The Wolves, who entered Wednesday winners of two straight, received a team-high 35 points from Butler and a 30-point, 10-rebound performance from Towns. Andrew Wiggins scored 19 points, and Jeff Teague threw together a 14-point, 15-assist evening.

While the Cavs remain a mess defensively—the two teams combined for an NBA-record 40 threes—James' teammates came through on offense.

With the NBA trade deadline set for 3 p.m. Thursday, the Cavs, who are now just 7-13 since Christmas, are looking for a deal. The team has been hesitant to part with the first-round draft pick it acquired last summer in the Kyrie Irving trade, but Cleveland may have no choice in order to add a quality player capable of pushing the club back into title contention.

The win lifted the Cavaliers to 31-22, seven games behind the East-leading Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers have struggled this season after making the NBA finals for the past three years, beating the Golden State Warriors once and losing to the same team the other two times.

COMING UP FOR THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: The Cleveland Cavaliers begin a stretch of three straight road games before the All-Star break on Friday in Atlanta.