LeBron James was named All-NBA First Team on Wednesday night and proved why on Wednesday night. Allen Einstein NBAE/Getty Images

As the Cavaliers huddled around a frenetic Mike Brown – frantically drawing up defensive schemes and offensive options on the overworked grease board – you could see in their eyes that they knew the importance of every possession, every second, every play.

In the closing seconds of Wednesday night’s heart-stopping 86-84 win in Detroit, Eric Snow – who always seems to have that look in his eyes – was barking “OUT-WORK THEM!” over and over again. And as the Palace’s sound system blared the Pistons’ trademark work whistle when the final timeout was over – the Cavaliers did just that.

When it was all said and done and the Wine and Gold walked out of enemy territory with Game 5 in hand, mindful to keep the celebration to a minimum. They haven’t won anything yet, but a win in Detroit – the hardest place to take a win out of, especially in the postseason – with the clincher in Cleveland is sweet music. A heck of a lot sweeter than the feeling the Cavaliers had the last time their bus pulled out into the Auburn Hills evening.

Twenty-two thousand fans were nothing short of stunned as the buzzer sounded and their 62-win Pistons stood on the precipice of elimination as the series returns to The Q on Friday night.

“By any means necessary,” said an understated LeBron James, following last night’s monumental victory. “That means games that are fastbreak games or slow-down games or tight games or defensive struggles – we’ve won all types of ballgames. But (Game 5) is a stepping stone for our team. And we’re still looking to get better.”

All year long the Cavaliers hung their hats on being able to win any kind of game and they're proving it in the postseason. Washington ran like a Western Conference club and the Wine and Gold ran with them. Detroit wanted to grind with the Cavaliers, and Mike Brown’s Men look happy to oblige them. Cleveland’s three wins have not been things of beauty.

For most of the Cavaliers – and certainly their unquestioned leader – the playoffs are uncharted waters. But LeBron’s learning curve has been so skewed in his short three-year career, why would the postseason boggle him more than any other challenge he’s faced?

He dropped 25 points on the Kings in his first regular season game. He made the All-Star team in his second season and was its Most Valuable Player in his third. On Wednesday afternoon he was the youngest player ever named All-NBA. Why would anyone think that he would be stumped in the NBA’s second season or by the Pistons later that night?

He figured out the Wizards in six games and it might take him the same amount to time to master the Eastern Conference Champs. In the Cavaliers’ first win of the semis, he notched a triple-double. On Monday, he was an assist and two rebounds from repeating the feat. In Wednesday’s win, he dropped 32 points on the Bad Boys. And, as always, he gave it up at just the right moment.

Drew Gooden was the recipient of the young King’s generosity and, although he played just 14 minutes, made them count by dropping in the game-winner with 27 seconds to play.

“Me and Donyell Marshall set a high pick-and-roll for LeBron to come off,” said Gooden, walking through the Cavaliers final offensive possession. “Donyell popped out for the three and I rolled to the basket and was wide open. LeBron did a great job finding me and I got the basketball and I made sure I finished.

Anderson Varejao has been the Cavaliers' X-factor throughout the playoffs. Allen Einstein NBAE/Getty Images

“If ever there was a basket in my life that I was going to finish, I was going to finish that one.”

Drew had slipped to the back burner in the Cavaliers frontcourt rotations before the game-winner. But another cliché about the playoffs – that anyone can be called on to be the hero at any time – came to fruition on Wednesday as it did for Damon Jones in, what seems like an eternity ago, Washington.

“You know it's a great team we're playing so we can't take anything for granted,” said Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who had his best game of the playoffs on Wednesday with 14 points, ten boards and six blocked shots. “We're going to have to go back and play the same way that we played the last three games.”

From Drew’s dramatics on Wednesday night to Damon’s dagger in D.C., the Cavaliers’ first postseason experience in eight years has been one for the ages – regardless of what happens on Friday night, and possibly, Sunday afternoon in Detroit.

The only thing that can add to the emotional rollercoaster that the postseason has already been is the return of Larry Hughes. There is still no timetable for the sinewy shooting guard’s return as he tends to matters much bigger than basketball. But whether he’s in the locker room, on the floor or even back in St. Louis with his family, he is with the Wine and Gold.

“It’s all about Larry right now,” said LeBron after the Cavaliers third-straight win. “Larry’s spirit and Larry’s strength is what’s driving us right now. Everything we’re doing on and off the court right now is with Larry and his family in mind.”

Whether Hughes plays on Friday night or not, Quicken Loans Arena should be rocking like it never has before. The Cavaliers won at the Palace on Wednesday, but they don’t want to go back there with the chips on the line. Closing out the series on Friday night would close one of the greatest chapters in Cleveland sports history.

How do they plan on doing it?

By using any means necessary.