CLEVELAND – LeBron James scored 27 points and assisted on Lucious Harris’s clinching 3-pointer with 6 seconds left as the first place Cavaliers won their eighth straight at home, 103-97 over the Nets last night.

At 12-6, the Cavaliers have the best record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference – the first time they’ve had that distinction after 15 games since March 21, 1989, when they were 48-17.There’s a long way to go this season, but Cleveland is looking more and more like a legitimate power – and James is the biggest reason why.

After his two free throws put the Cavaliers up 97-93 with 1:35 to play, James stole Richard Jefferson’s crosscourt pass and streaked in for a thunderous slam dunk. As the Gund Arena crowd erupted, the Nets called timeout and James walked to Cleveland’s bench screaming, “This is my house.”

The Nets pulled within 100-97 on Jason Collins’s tip with 30.9 seconds to go, but James fed Harris in the right corner and the shooting guard, who spent seven seasons with the Nets before signing with Cleveland as a free agent last summer, drilled his 3.

Jefferson led the Nets with 27 points and Jason Kidd had 10 points in 20 minutes in his second game back after knee surgery. Collins added a season high 17 points.

With Nets coach Lawrence Frank trying to manage Kidd’s limited playing time wisely, the point guard re-entered the game with 4:37 left and the score tied 89-89. Cavs guard Jeff McInnis then scored on a beautiful spin move in the lane before Eric Snow picked up a loose ball and fed James, who had missed his previous seven shots, for a layup to give the Cavaliers a 93-89 lead.

Kidd countered with a 3-pointer before McInnis’s jumper made it 95-92. James then took charge, making all the big plays down the stretch.

The Nets didn’t commit their first turnover of the third quarter until Kidd was called for a charge with 51 seconds left and New Jersey leading by two. James then made two free throws and Harris hit all three attempts after being fouled by Travis Best as the Cavaliers took a 79-76 lead into the fourth.

Nets President Rod Thorn remains adamant he has no plans to trade Kidd.

“We don’t give guys like that away,” Thorn said of Kidd, who has made it clear he isn’t happy in New Jersey.

“As far as I’m concerned, I want to keep him. He’s a great player. If you have a great player who is healthy, you keep those guys. Great players don’t come along every day.”