CLEVELAND -- The curtain came up on the Cleveland Cavaliers' title defense, and Cleveland showed more flashes of the team that lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy last June than the one that limped toward the finish line to close the regular season this month.

The Cavs survived C.J. Miles' game-winning bid and beat the Indiana Pacers 109-108 on Saturday, controlling much of the game on their home court before thwarting a late Indiana rally to go up 1-0 in their first-round series.

"Anybody but Paul George," LeBron James said afterward of whom he wanted to get the last shot for Indiana.

Kyrie Irving had 23 points and the Cavs pulled out Game 1 against the Pacers. AP Photo/Tony Dejak

The Pacers erased a 12-point, third-quarter lead by the Cavs to go up 105-103 on a Jeff Teague jumper with 3:31 remaining in the fourth before the Cavs put the finishing touches on the series opener thanks to James and Kyrie Irving.

While Cleveland’s defense didn’t necessarily flip the switch from its post-All-Star break doldrums -- Indiana shot 49.4 percent for the game and 45.8 percent from 3-point range -- its offense more than made up for it. Meanwhile, the Cavs were cold from the line, making just 14 of 27 freebies.

2017 NBA Opening Night On opening night, the Warriors were stunned in Oakland and the Celtics' high hopes took a tumble. • Irving: Hayward injury among worst

• Despite gloom, hopeful signs for C's

• Hobbled CP3 sees Houston rally

• LeBron shakes ankle woes in opener

• Warriors get rings for 2017 title

James, having entered into his Zero Dark Thirty-23 social media blackout around midnight Friday, turned the lights out on the Pacers with a dominant 32-point, 13-assist performance in his 200th career playoff game. He continued his undefeated streak in the first round dating to May 6, 2012, when the Miami Heat were bested by the New York Knicks.

James started slow, making three assists through the first nine minutes of the first quarter before he even attempted a shot, but he came at Indiana in waves after that.

The Cavs put their stamp on things with a 10-0 run late in the third quarter punctuated by a James dunk that sent the building into a tizzy as the four-time MVP batted his chest and gesticulated toward the crowd while Indiana called timeout.

Before the game, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said that a major turnaround for his team that dropped 14 of its last 24 games was possible.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS Check out the team site for more game coverage

“I’ve been on teams where we were able to hit the switch, but with this team I just think getting back on track, playing Cavs basketball,” Lue said. “And that’s the biggest thing for us. Defensively, offensively, pushing the pace, moving the basketball, that’s who we are. We’ve got to get back to doing that.”

If a change were to happen on the defensive end, that will have to come down the line. It was a scoring fest from the start, with the Cavs leading 34-29 after the first quarter as they shot 65 percent to the Pacers’ 55 percent.

INDIANA PACERS Check out the team site for more game coverage

Some things went Cleveland’s way that bode well for the rest of the series, others not so well. On the plus side, James tried out an adjusted free throw routine -- one where he dips the ball slightly after getting set, before going up for his shot -- and went 4-for-4 from the line to start before finishing 6-for-9. This after shooting a career-worst 67.4 percent on freebies during the regular season. On the flip side, Deron Williams aggravated his left thumb, which had been bothering him for some time and had to check out of the game to have it retaped in the first half.

Paul George came into Saturday averaging 32.8 points on 54.8 percent shooting in the month of April to carry the Pacers into the postseason, and Cleveland kept him relatively in check Saturday, as he went for 29 points on 9-for-19 shooting. He added seven assists. LeBron's old friend Lance Stephenson added 16 points off the bench.

Kevin Love scored the first seven points for Cleveland and finished with 17 points. Irving had 23 points. Channing Frye led Cleveland’s bench with 11 points.