The Cavaliers were twice down by 25 in the second quarter. But by halftime, they were within 14. At the end of the third, they had closed to four and they took their first lead at 83-82 on McInnis' short jumper with 7:42 to play.
But as has been the case with most of their games this season, this one went to the final horn as Baron Davis hit a 3-pointer with 6.1 seconds left to get the Hornets to 102-100.
However, Boozer made two free throws with 5.1 seconds left, and with the lead seemingly safe, Silas raised his right fist in the air to celebrate a win over the team that fired him after last season.
Davis led the Hornets with 34 points and Jamal Mashburn had 23, but after a strong start, the two stars struggled from the field. They opened a combined 13-for-13 from the floor but went 7-for-32 the rest of the way.
"They just kept on playing," Mashburn said. "They kept attacking and we didn't. That's the bottom line."
Kapono sparked the Cavs' comeback, draining all his 3s and adding five rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes. The second-round draft pick from UCLA had played just 19 minutes in his previous five games.
"I'm not the most talented guy in here," he said looking around the Cavs' locker room. "I'm probably the 14th most talented guy on the roster, but I can play a little.''
Elias said it was the first time in Cavs history they won after trailing by 21 at the end of the first quarter. They had been 0-9 in such games.
The Detroit Pistons were fined US$200,000 by the NBA on Monday for using Rasheed Wallace and Mike James before the league finalized the deal that brought them to the team.
The league said it was the first time a player acquired in a trade played for his new team before the NBA officially approved the move.
Wallace and James came to Detroit in a three-team trade with Atlanta and Boston on Thursday, and both played in the first half of the Pistons' 88-87 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
They were pulled at halftime when it was discovered that paperwork for two other players in the deal -- Lindsey Hunter and Chris Mills -- had yet to be completed. Wallace and James also missed a practice Saturday before the NBA said the trade was "final."
"In accordance with league rules, each team was informed that none of the traded players could play with their new teams until all conditions of the trade had been met, including the signing of certifications by teams, players and agents involved in the deal," the NBA said in a statement. "The Pistons violated this rule by playing Wallace and James in the first half of the game against the Timberwolves even though the required certifications were not yet signed."
IN BAD TASTE
The Cleveland Cavaliers were fined US$5,000 by the NBA on Monday for a skit in which their mascot poked fun at Celtics guard Ricky Davis.
During a timeout in the second quarter of a Feb. 9 game against Boston, Moondog, Cleveland's floppy-eared mascot, mopped the floor with a No. 31 Cavs jersey -- Davis' number while he was with Cleveland.
"We accept responsibility and will pay the fine and move on,'' team spokesman Tad Carper said.
Earlier this season, the Utah Jazz were fined US$15,000 by the league for a skit that ridiculed Los Angeles forward Karl Malone and teammate Kobe Bryant.
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