Durant in command as Warriors down Cavs
LOS ANGELES: The defending champion Golden State Warriors tightened the screws defensively in the second half Monday night, rallying from a halftime deficit to a 118-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA’s marquee matchup on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Cleveland. The Warriors’ 13th consecutive road victory in a rematch of last June’s NBA Finals allowed them to sweep the season series from the Cavaliers for the second time in the last three seasons. The Warriors had beaten the Cavaliers, 9992, at home on Christmas Day. After giving up 64 points over the game’s first 24 minutes, the Warriors held the Cavaliers to 44 in the second half, including 17 in the decisive fourth quarter. Kevin Durant had 32 points, Stephen Curry 23 and Klay Thompson 17 for the Warriors. They combined for 11 3-pointers as Golden State outscored the Cavaliers 36-21 from beyond the arc.
BUCKS 104, WIZARDS 95 Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points with a career-high 20 rebounds and Milwaukee snapped a two-game skid with a 104-95 victory over Washington at Capital One Arena. Eric Bledsoe scored 23 for the Bucks, who went 8-of-16 from beyond the arc. Khris Middleton added 19 points for Milwaukee.
THUNDER 95, KINGS 88 Russell Westbrook produced a double-double while Carmelo Anthony scored 15 of his 20 points in a turnaround third quarter to carry Oklahoma City to a 95-88 victory over Sacramento at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Westbrook finished with 19 points and 16 rebounds and was the linchpin of an 13-4 run the Thunder used to close the second period and slice into a 15-point deficit. The Kings led 48-33 with just over three minutes remaining in the first half before Westbrook scored six consecutive points for the Thunder. He later added a driving layup to pull Oklahoma City to within 50-46. Westbrook lost his composure after he picked up consecutive technical fouls and was ejected by referee Matt Boland with 2:51 remaining in the game. He recorded 10 turnovers along with nine assists in 33 minutes.
PACERS 109, JAZZ 94
Victor Oladipo scored 28 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists to lead a balanced offensive effort that sparked Indiana to a 109-94 win over Utah. Five players scored in double figures for the Pacers and Al Jefferson added a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench. Indiana won for the fifth time in the last six games. The Pacers made it rain from outside, going 14-of-26 from the perimeter. GRIZZLIES 123, LAKERS 114 Rookie Dillon Brooks led eight players in double figures with 19 points, helping Memphis outlast Los Angeles 123-114 in Memphis. Tyreke Evans recorded a 15-point, 12-assist double-double for the Grizzlies, who beat the Lakers for the second time in three meetings this season and for the seventh straight time at home. Playing without standout rookies Lonzo Ball (sprained knee) and Brandon Ingram (sprained ankle), the Lakers saw a season-high four-game winning streak come to an end.