Shaquille O'Neal throws down two of his 14 points in Thursday's win. Isaac Baldizon NBAE/Getty Images

J.J. Hickson – who got the third start of his young career – scored 11 points in the third quarter, propelling Cleveland to the 111-104 win – their sixth in the last seven games. In fact, the Cavaliers haven’t lost since the 21-year-old has been moved in the opening lineup.

With the Cavaliers clinging to a small lead and several players battling foul trouble, Hickson went 5-for-6 after intermission, keeping the Heat at bay. In the fourth quarter, it was the young protégé’s mentor who navigated the way home.

LeBron James netted 10 of his team-high 34 points in the final period, once again doing epic battle with his Draft classmate, Dwyane Wade.

“For me that was so fun to watch,” beamed Coach Brown. “(LeBron) willed the end of the game to go the way it did. It was flat-out beautiful – like a Picasso.”

The two superstars did not disappoint. James was 8-for-20 from the floor, but 16-of-18 from the stripe, adding a game-high seven assists, along with four boards, two steals and a blocked shot. Wade’s numbers almost mirrored the young King’s – going 9-for-21 from the floor and 15-for-21 from the line en route to a game-high 36 points.

“It's like being in the backyard with your big brother or little brother," smiled James. "You don't want him to get the upper edge. You don't want them bragging and talking about it all week.”

While the bigs did battle, Mo Williams continued his tear – following up Wednesday’s 26-point outing in Central Florida with a 25-point effort in the South. Mo was 10-for-15 from the field, including 5-for-7 from three-point range.

Shaq, who was booed every time he touched the ball, turned in another strong effort – rounding out the Cavaliers in double-figures with 14 points.

The Wine and Gold return home on Friday and will welcome Carlos Boozer and the Jazz on Saturday night at The Q.

2. The Cavaliers went 3-1 against the Heat last year and are now 36-42 against the Heat all-time. The win improves their record in Miami to just 12-27.

3. Over the last three wins, Mo Williams is shooting a scorching .614 from the floor. Over the past two games, Mo has gone 9-for-12 from long-distance.

4. The Heat came into the league as the top team defending the three-point shot, allowing opponents to shoot just .257. The Cavaliers came in shooting .466 from long-distance, second behind only the Suns (.475). On Thursday night, led by Mo Williams, the Wine and Gold were 9-for-19, 47 percent from beyond the arc.

5. Most viewers probably saw Michael Jordan sitting with Heat President Pat Riley. That might’ve seemed a little unusual, but not as unusual as Jordan’s number, Bulls jersey and all – along with Dan Marino’s – hanging “near” the rafters at American Airlines Arena.

6. Some of the celebrities seated courtside at American Airlines Arena included Lenny Kravitz, Penny Hardaway, Scottie Pippen, Joey Porter and Warren Sapp,

7. Rookie Danny Green made his first appearance as a pro on Thursday night. He stuffed the stat sheet in every way in four years at Chapel Hill. In Miami, not so much. He played 31 seconds to close out the first quarter without denting the boxscore.

8. Dwyane Wade had Anthony Parker in foul trouble most of the night, allowing Jamario Moon to get his longest run of the season. Against his former club, Moon went 4-for-5 from the floor for eight points and six boards and a mammoth baseline block on Michael Beasley in the fourth that electrified the Cavaliers bench.

9. In his 20th game against the Cavaliers, Dwyane Wade is averaging 27.6 ppg., topping the 40-point plateau four times in that span. LeBron James, drafted four spots above Wade in 2003, has played 23 games against Miami, averaging 28.5 ppg. No. 23 also has four 40-point games in the series – including a pair of 47-pointers in consecutive games against Miami in 2006.

10. J.J. Hickson had easily best game of his young career. His previous high was a 15-point performance in a blowout against Oklahoma City. On Wednesday, the former N.C. State standout finished with 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Hickson added four boards a steal and a blocked shot.