Milwaukee, WI (My Sportsbook) - LeBron James had a season-high 55 points, making 8-of-11 three-pointers, as the Cleveland Cavaliers downed the Milwaukee Bucks, 111-103.

James missed his career high by a single point, shooting 16-of-29 overall, and added nine assists. He notched his seventh career 50-point game, and could have matched or set the career high at the free throw line, where he was 15- of-22.

"I just got in a zone," James said. "I saw a few go down, so I just kept at it. Every shot I made, every shot that we made tonight, we needed it."

Mo Williams added 23 points and six assists for the Cavaliers, who have won three in a row. Zydrunas Ilgauskas provided 11 points in the win.

Charlie Villanueva had 26 points, 13 rebounds and six assists to lead the Bucks, but was ejected in the fourth quarter after shoving Cleveland's Anderson Varejao to the floor and putting a hand around the neck of Ilgauskas.

Richard Jefferson added 17 points for Milwaukee, which has lost two in a row.

"We battled back and we had our opportunities, and we weren't able to get it," Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said. "We've still got some young guys that are learning the intensity and mental focus you have to have at all times if you want to beat a good club, and we're not there yet."

James scored the bulk of his points in the third quarter, when he poured in 24 and kept Cleveland in the game. After Williams began the stanza with a layup James scored 16 consecutive Cleveland points, including four three-pointers.

It was part of a 24-4 overall run to began the third for the Cavs, which James ended with a free throw for a 75-61 lead.

"(It) was almost like watching a video game," Ilgauskas said of James. "I tried to keep a straight face on, but I just couldn't. It was fun. Just look at the way our bench reacted. Every shot he took, I was like, 'No way.'"

Milwaukee countered with a 12-2 run to stay within striking distance, and Villanueva's basket with five minutes left trimmed the Bucks' deficit to 77-73.

Milwaukee later tied the game at 82 on a layup from Luc Mbah a Moute, but J.J. Hickson provided a dunk for Cleveland, and James capped the stanza with a pair of free throws to put the Cavs up 86-82 going to the fourth.

Cleveland maintained a small lead in the early stages of the final quarter, and was ahead 92-89 after a Varejao dunk.

Then, with 6:54 left, a contested rebound developed into a near fight. While contending for the ball with Varejao, Villanueva put his left hand on Varejao's face and shoved him to the floor. Varejao remained on the ground and Ilgauskas walked over and got face-to-face with Villanueva, who then placed a hand around Ilgauskas' neck.

No punches were thrown, but Villanueva was assessed a flagrant foul-2 and ejected, while Ilgauskas was given a technical foul but remained in the game.

Cleveland then pulled away after the ejection of Milwaukee's most effective player Friday, as an Ilgauskas triple made it 98-92 in Cleveland's favor.

After a Jefferson free throw, James sank a jumper and Williams followed with a trey to make it a 103-93 game with 4 1/2 minutes left. It was enough cushion for the Cavs to hold on for the win, though James was still looking to set a career high.

He had the ball with less than 30 seconds left, defended by Bucks rookie Joe Alexander, who managed to get a hand on James' dribble. James pulled up for a jumper with about 12 seconds left, but it was off the mark and he remained at 55 points.

Milwaukee had a 27-25 edge after the first quarter, and expanded the lead to 57-51 at the half.

Game Notes

Bucks guard Luke Ridnour returned from a fractured right thumb and scored seven points...Jefferson went 1-of-4 from three-point range, and matched his career high for three-pointers made in a season with 77. He went 77-for-213 in 2007-08 and is presently 77-for-186 this season...James set his career high of 56 vs. Toronto on March 20, 2005...Charlie Bell had 15 points for the Bucks, while Ramon Sessions had 12 and Francisco Elson and Keith Bogans each scored 10.