James had eight of his 29 points in the first four minutes of the second half and the Cavaliers outscored the Rockets 32-15 in the third quarter to break open a close game.
Cleveland trailed 16-4 early in the first quarter before responding to forge a 51-48 at halftime lead, with James blaming the sluggish start on a four-game Western swing in which they won three times.
“You can’t shy away from the fact that those road trips take a toll on you when you come back home,” James told reporters.
“You are trying to catch up on sleep but at the same time you have a job to do.”
