LeBron reaches milestone in Cavs’ triumph
Hawks prevail over Knicks in 4OT Mavericks outlast Spurs Warriors eke out narrow conquest of Blazers
LeBron James scored 25 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and became the first player to score 20,000 points in a Cavaliers uniform in Cleveland’s 10791 victory against Oklahoma City.
And yet the storm clouds of a turbulent week that James helped induce for the Cavs may not be completely over.
Kevin Love left the game in the second quarter with back spasms and did not make the trip to Dallas for Monday’s game against the Mavericks. Instead, he’ll remain in Cleveland for an MRI on his back, which has now cost him the equivalent of three games in the last two weeks.
Coach Tyronn Lue acknowledged Love’s back was bothering him when he arrived at the arena on Sunday.
“It’s nothing to play with,” James said of Love’s back issues. James had back problems of his own a couple years ago.
“It’s a terrible feeling when your back is hurt. It just limits you more than anything. I know it’s very frustrating for him because he puts in a lot of work.”
Tristan Thompson had one of his best defensive games of the season for the Cavs, blocking four shots and picking off four steals. Now he is the last remaining big in the rotation since Love is down at least temporarily.
“This has been our mantra since we all came together: Next man up. We talk about it every year,” Thompson said. “We hope Kevin gets well, takes care of his body, because you know we’re going to need him for the long haul. So, whatever he has to do to get 100 percent, that’s the most important.”
James, who is eighth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with nearly 28,000 career points, has nearly twice as many points as anyone else in a Cavs uniform. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is second on the team’s scoring list with 10,616 points.
Hawks 142, Knicks 139 (4OT)
Paul Millsap totaled 37 points and 19 rebounds in 60 minutes and Atlanta outlasted New York in four overtimes.
Millsap matched a team record for minutes and also scored the go-ahead basket with 11.4 seconds remaining in the fourth overtime.
Kent Bazemore added 24 points and Dennis Schroder contributed 23 and a career-high 15 assists. Dwight Howard collected 19 and 13 rebounds before fouling out in the second overtime.
Mavericks 105, Spurs 101
Seth Curry scored a career-high 24 points and hit the deciding layup with 17.3 seconds remaining as Dallas snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Spurs.
Harrison Barnes added 19 points for the Mavericks, who trailed 59-49 at halftime. Wesley Matthews had 17 points, and Dirk Nowitzki totaled 15 points and 10 rebounds. Dallas won in San Antonio for the first time since 2010.
Warriors 113, Trail Blazers 111
Kevin Durant scored 33 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists as Golden State beat Portland.
Klay Thompson added 27 points for the Warriors, who won their third straight game and 10th in the past 11 outings.
Golden State was without Steph Curry, who had the stomach flu.
Magic 114, Raptors 113
Nikola Vucevic scored 25 points and Orlando held off slumping Toronto.
D.J. Augustin added 21 points as Orlando scored 19 straight points to end the first half. Jeff Green added 16 points and C.J. Watson finished with 15 points.
Kyle Lowry scored 33 points for the Raptors, who lost for the sixth time in seven games.