76ers edge Cavs in 13th straight win

Los Angeles, April 7: Australia’s Ben Simmons won the battle of the triple doubles with LeBron James as the Philadelphia 76ers rolled to their 13th consecutive victory with a 132- 130 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Simmons finished with 27 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists on Friday as the Sixers surged to a 30 point first- half lead and scored 78 points by halftime.

James tallied 44 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds and sparked a second half rally but it wasn’t enough as the Sixers held on to win by the slimmest of margins. James shot 17- of- 29 on the night.

The Sixers improved to 49- 30 on the season and vaulted into third place in the Eastern Conference over the Cavaliers, who fell to 49- 31. He made the first one to close the gap to two points. After missing the second, James purposely missed the third.

Larry Nance then botched a tip- in right before the buzzer, as the Philadelphia won its biggest game in five years.

Elsewhere, the Toronto Raptors clinched the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference and broke their team record for wins in a season with a 92- 73 thumping of the Indiana Pacers.

Serge Ibaka scored a seasonhigh 25 points and DeMar DeRozan delivered 12 as the Raptors won the Atlantic Division title and claimed the Conference crown for the first time in franchise history.

“It’s gratification but you’re not satisfied, that’s the way I like to put it,” Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. “We haven’t got to where our ultimate goal is.”

Jakob Poeltl with 10 points Lowry tallied nine assists Raptors. finished and Kyle nine and for the

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AFP