CLEVELAND -- LeBron James ripped the heart out of the Cleveland Cavaliers again.

Because that's what he does, this time with a triple-double.

The Miami Heat won again.

Because since Feb. 3, that's all they've done, even if it took an act of survival this time.

The winning streak is now 24, nine away from the NBA record of 33 set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.

But nothing that came before was anything like this.

Down 21 at halftime and 27 midway through the third quarter, the Heat rode 3-pointers from James, Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers to an unlikely 98-95 victory Wednesday night that was unlike anything previously seen in the franchise's 25 seasons.

First the game was delayed 35 minutes due to slippery conditions created by a leak from the overhead scoreboard at Quicken Loans Arena.

Then, with 8:21 to play in the fourth quarter, a fan ran onto the court amid play with a white T-shirt that read, "2014." That's the year James can opt out of his Heat contract, with James just a year ago declining to rule out an eventual return to the hometown team he left for the Heat in July 2010 free agency.

The comeback was the Heat's largest of the season, having roared back from a 17-point deficit two days earlier against the Boston Celtics to extend the streak to 23 and move past the 2007-08 Houston Rockets for the second-longest winning streak in NBA history.

This set up as something rather simple.

This not only was an opponent that entered with a 22-45 record, with losses in five of its previous six, but one that also was lacking three names you might have heard of, with forward Anderson Varejao and the starting backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters sidelined by the injuries.

In their place, the likes of Tristan Thompson, Tyler Zeller, Wayne Ellington and C.J. Miles tried to do what Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder couldn't do, what Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks couldn't do, what Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers couldn't do, what Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers couldn't do over these last six weeks.

Ultimately, they couldn't, with James closing with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, supported to timely and needed 3-point shooting, as well as 17-points from guard Dwyane Wade.

But even after the massive comeback, it wasn't easy, with the Cavaliers closing within 96-95 with 44.1 seconds to play on a pair of Thompson free throws after the Heat moved ahead by nine earlier in the fourth quarter.

Wade then missed a jumper, with Cleveland seemingly playing for an all-or-nothing shot, with Ellington missing a 23-foot step-back jumper against Ray Allen with 5.2 seconds to play.

After a rebounding scramble, the ball was ruled out of bounds to the Heat, with replay confirming that call.

Then, with 4.3 seconds to play, Cleveland forward Alonzo Gee, the Palm Beach product, fouled James, who made both free throws for a 98-95 lead.

The game ended on a missed 3-pointer by Miles.

Up next are three challenges that appear equally as unimposing as what the Cavaliers were supposed to be, the Detroit Pistons on Friday night at AmericanAirlines Arena, the Charlotte Bobcats at home on Sunday and then Monday on the road against the Orlando Magic.

After falling behind 67-40 in the third quarter, the Heat rode a pair of 3-pointers from Battier and another by Allen to move within 74-68 late in the third quarter, before Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson converted a 3-pointer at the end of the period to leave Cleveland up 77-68 going into the fourth quarter.