JAMES SAVES CAVS YET AGAIN
James scores 35, sets winning play against Raptors; Cavs played without five players, coach Lue
LeBron James scored 35 points and added 17 assists, his last setting up a late a 3-pointer by Kevin Love, and the undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers ended Toronto’s nine-game road winning streak with a 132-129 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors on Wednesday night.
The Cavs were missing five rotational players and coach Tyronn Lue, who missed his second straight game because of health reasons.
But they had James, who earlier in the day said, “I’ll be available, so we got a chance.”
James didn’t have a turnover in 40 minutes and he made three free throws in the final 7.8 seconds. He missed one with 3.9 seconds left, giving Toronto a final shot, but DeMar DeRozan’s 3-pointer — contested by James — was wide left. DeRozan and Toronto coaches complained the All-Star was fouled to no avail. HORNETS 111, NETS 105 NEW YORK (AP) — Dwight Howard had 32 points and a franchise-record 30 rebounds, becoming the first player with a 3030 game against the Nets since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1978.
Kemba Walker scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter for the Hornets, who trailed by as many 23 points in the second half but won in front of an announced crowd of 10,231 at Barclay Center while a heavy snowfall outside blanketed the New York City area.
Trailing 105-102 with 2:14 left in regulation, the Hornets went on a 9-0 run to pull off the impressive comeback. Jeremy Lamb, who had 17 points to help end Charlotte’s two-game losing streak, made a layup to cut the deficit to 105-104. The Hornets then called a timeout after a miss by Caris LeVert with 23 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Walker spun around Quincy Acy and capped a three-point play to put Charlotte up 107-105, the Hornets’ first lead of the night since a 16-15 advantage with 5:46 in the opening quarter.
D’Angelo Russell scored 19 points and LeVert added 11 for the Nets.
CLIPPERS 127, BUCKS 120
In Milwaukee, DeAndre Jordan had 25 points and 22 rebounds to lead Los Angeles past Milwaukee.
Austin Rivers added 22 points and Lou Williams scored 19 for Los Angeles, which bounced back after a deflating loss to Minnesota on Tuesday night.
The Bucks lost All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to a right ankle sprain late in the first half. Antetokounmpo appeared to get hurt when he tripped over teammate Shabazz Muhammad under Milwaukee’s basket. He stayed in the game for a brief period, but hobbled around the court while grimacing. He went to the locker room with about four minutes remaining in the second quarter and did not return.
76ERS 119, GRIZZLIES 105
In Philadelphia, PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Robert Covington, J.J. Redick and Dario Saric each had 15 points to pace all five Philadelphia starters in double-figures, and the 76ers continued their push for home-court advantage in the playoffs. /
It’s a good win for us because of how depleted we are on our roster and everything that’s been going on. It’s a good win for us against a very good opponent. But I don’t need to remind anybody about what my teams are capable of doing.
LEBRON JAMES