CLEVELAND -- The lopsided difference on the scoreboard indicated the game was probably over. LeBron James wasn't convinced.

James scored 38 points -- 25 in the second half -- and led the Cleveland Cavaliers back from a 19-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a wild 94-93 win over the Boston Celtics last night.

The Cavaliers, who trailed 11-0 to open the game and 25-6 in the first quarter, were down by 25 points in the third period and still trailed 82-63 with 10:16 remaining before storming back.

"We could have easily packed it up, but that's not who I am," James said. "Any time I'm on the court it doesn't matter how many points we're down, we always have a chance to win."

With their superstar driving to the basket nearly every time he touched the ball, the Cavaliers outscored the Celtics 34-17 in the fourth and staged one of the biggest comebacks in franchise history.

The team doesn't have complete play-by-play records, so it's impossible to know whether the Cavs have overcome any greater deficit.

This one has to be up there.

"We had no business winning that game," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "We willed our way to a win."

James, who came in shooting just 63 percent on free throws, went 19-of-23 from the foul line but missed a pair of foul shots -- one on purpose -- with 1.2 seconds remaining. James was short on his first attempt, and intentionally missed on his second try but the ball failed to hit the rim.

As wine-and-gold streamers and confetti fluttered from the rafters, the final score was announced over the loudspeaker as Cavaliers fans danced in the aisles. However, Celtics and coach Doc Rivers quickly argued that James' miss was a violation and wanted the ball.

The officials huddled briefly near halfcourt and gave it to Boston. In the meantime, most of Cleveland's players had already gone to the locker room and had to be summoned back to the bench.

Boston threw a high inbounds pass to Paul Pierce, who caught it, but his potential game-winning 3-pointer rattled off the rim.

Sasha Pavlovic had 14 points and made two crucial 3-pointers during Cleveland's frantic rally.

Pierce scored all his 19 points in the second half, and Sebastian Telfair, who was briefly hospitalized Friday with shortness of breath, had 15 for the Celtics.

Boston didn't dress Wally Szczerbiak (back), and Theo Ratliff (back) and Al Jefferson (appendectomy) were both sidelined with injuries.