BOSTON: LeBron James delivered his best game since returning to Cleveland, and the Cavaliers have a winning record for the first time this season with a come-from-behind 122-121 win over Boston on Friday.

James exploded for 41 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, as Cleveland rallied from a 19-point deficit to move to 4-3 on the season.

“We showed some growth in the fourth quarter,” said James of his team, which has won three straight since starting the season 1-3.

James, with 23,360 points, also surpassed former Celtic great Robert Parish for 24th on the all-time NBA scoring list. He came into the game needing 16 points to pass Parish, who finished his all-star career with 23,334.

Friday’s performance marked James’ 53rd career game of 40 or more points in the regular season and his first since March, when he scored 43 against the Cavaliers as a member of the Miami Heat.

Besides scoring a season high 41 points, James also tallied seven assists and four rebounds in his best performance back in a Cavaliers’ jersey after winning two NBA titles with the Miami Heat.

James was making his first start with Cleveland since the 2010 playoffs.

This was Cleveland’s fifth road game in their last six contests.

They held the Celtics to 20 points in the final 12 minutes, after allowing 42 points in the third quarter in front of a crowd of 18,624 at the Boston Garden arena.

“We gave up a 40-point quarter and that’s unacceptable,” James said.

Kyrie Irving tallied 15 of his 27 in the final quarter, and Kevin Love finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds in the win.

Kelly Olynyk scored a season-high 21 points while Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger scored 19 each for the Celtics, who lost their second straight game. Guard Rajon Rondo had 16 assists.

Pelicans 139, Timberwolves 91: Point guard Jrue Holiday triggered a franchise-record scoring assault with 24 points and nine assists to power New Orleans to a landslide victory over Minnesota.

In winning for the fourth time in five games, the Pelicans (5-3) set a single-game scoring record, breaking their previous record of 135. They made 15 of 20 shots from three-point range and led by as many as 53 points, 135-82, with 4:40 left. The 48-point margin of victory was the most lopsided in franchise history.

The Pelicans shot 67 percent from the field.

Jazz 102, Knicks 100: Trey Burke drained a 20-footer from the left baseline as time expired and visiting Utah handed New York their seventh consecutive loss.

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony scored 17 of his season-high 46 points in the fourth quarter, but he could not single-handedly halt New York’s skid.

Nuggets 108, Pacers 87: Arron Afflalo broke out of a slump with 17 points to lead a balanced attack as visiting Denver halted a six-game slide in convincing fashion with a big win over Indiana.

Wilson Chandler and Gary Harris scored 13 points apiece for the Nuggets, who won for the first time in four road games this season.

Hawks 114, Heat 103: Paul Millsap and Al Horford each scored 19 points to lead eight players in double figures as host Atlanta beat Miami for their fourth straight win.

The Hawks shot 56 percent from the floor. Mario Chalmers racked up 23 points and 11 assists off the bench to lead Miami, which was without star guard Dwyane Wade because of a strained left hamstring.

Magic 101, Bucks 85: Forward Tobias Harris had 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead Orlando to victory over Milwaukee.

Orlando center Nikola Vucevic had 18 points, including nine in the fourth quarter when the Magic held off a brief charge by the Bucks, who edged within eight points.

Spurs 93, Lakers 80: San Antonio beat Los Angeles as Kobe Bryant made just one-of-14 shots from the floor for the Lakers in one of the worst shooting performances of his storied career.

Pistons 96, Thunder 89 (OT): Guard Brandon Jennings scored 29 points to lead Detroit to an overtime road victory over Oklahoma City, after guard Reggie Jackson missed a jump shot at the end of regulation that would have won it for the Thunder.

Rockets 88, 76ers 87: Guard James Harden scored a game-high 35 points, including the winning layup with nine seconds left, as Houston staved off a massive upset with a home victory over winless Philadelphia.

Hornets 103, Suns 95: Guard Kemba Walker scored 19 points as Charlotte recovered from a 14-quarter deficit after one quarter to notch their first road win of the season, a victory over Phoenix.