LeBron scores 33, powers Cavs over Bulls
LeBron James scored 33 points as part of a triple-double, Jordan Clarkson had a tiebreaking fourpoint play with 1:27 left and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Chicago Bulls 114-109 on Saturday night.
James had 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his 15th triple-double of the season, and Jeff Green added 21 points. Clarkson finished with 19 points to help the Cavaliers salvage a six-game split on their season-high six-game trip.
Denzel Valentine led Chicago with a career-high 34 points, hitting 8 of 11 from long range. The Bulls wiped out a 17-point halftime deficit even though they held out banged-up core players Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn, only to come up short in the closing minutes.
Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue spent the second half in the locker room with an illness, another hit for an already short-handed team.
WARRIORS 124, SUNS 109
In Phoenix, Quinn Cook scored 16 of his career-high 28 points in a dominant third quarter for Golden State, Draymond Green narrowly missed a triple-double and the severely depleted Warriors handed Phoenix its eighth straight loss and 23rd in 25 games.
Nick Young added 20 for the Warriors, who beat Phoenix for the 13th consecutive time despite playing without Stephen Curry (ankle), Kevin Durant (ribs) and Klay Thompson (fractured thumb) — a trio that averages a combined 73 points per game. The Suns didn’t have leading scorer Devin Booker due to a right hand sprain.
Green had 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Golden State, which had lost three of its last four after the injuries began to hit.
Josh Jackson scored a career-high 36 points for Phoenix. Troy Daniels added 18. WIZARDS 109, PACERS 102 In Washington, Bradley Beal scored 19 points, Marcin Gortat had 18 and Washington beat Indiana in a possible playoff preview.
Washington earned its second straight win to move into a tie with Indiana for fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Wizards also claimed the first tiebreaker by taking two of three in the season series.
Washington went 10 for 20 from 3-point range and shot 54.8 percent from the field overall. Kelly Oubre, Jr. had 16 points for the Wizards, and Markieff Morris added 15.
Reserve Lance Stephenson led Indiana with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting. Victor Oladipo had 18 points.
ROCKETS 107, PELICANS 101 In New Orleans, James Harden had 32 points and 11 rebounds, and Houston won for the 21st time in 22 games by beating New Orleans.
Harden’s highlights included his usual array of explosive drives and pull-up jumpers, including a 27-foot, straight-on 3 that put the Rockets up by nine with 1:31 left.
Chris Paul added 21 points and Clint Capela had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets. /