LeBron scores 40 to lead Cavaliers to win over Bucks
Embiid, Simmons carry Philadelphia
CLEVELAND — LeBron James scored 40 points as part of his third triple-double in four games and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 124-117 on Monday night as coach Tyronn Lue began his leave of absence to address health issues.
Lue said Monday in a statement he been dealing with chest pains and loss of sleep, and that tests have offered no conclusion about what the issue is. Associate head coach Larry Drew will run the team in Lue’s absence.
James scored 17 points in the third quarter and finished with 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his 16th tripledouble this season and 71st of his career.
The four-time MVP took over in the third beginning with back-to-back 3-pointers. After not getting a foul called on a third attempt, he finished Cleveland’s next possession with a massive dunk. He was fouled attempting another dunk and made both free throws the following time down.
Milwaukee cut a 17-point lead to 117-109, but James drove the length of the floor for a dunk with just over a minute left.
Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin Love returned after missing six weeks because of a broken left hand and scored 18 points in 25 minutes. He sparked a 10-0 run in the second quarter with two 3-pointers
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37 points and went 11 for 11 at the foul line for Milwaukee, which is seventh in the Eastern Conference. Khris Middleton had 30 points, making 11 of 16 from the field.
Milwaukee guard Jason Terry was given a Flagrant-1 foul for hitting Ante Zizic in the face with an open hand while the rookie center was putting up a shot in the lane. Zizic made both free throws, helping spark a run that built a double-figure lead. In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid had 25 points and 19 rebounds and Ben Simmons had a tripledouble to lead Philadelphia to a win over Charlotte.
Simmons had 11 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists to help the Sixers keep alive their shot at finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference and earning home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The 76ers have one of the easiest schedules of any team the rest of the season. The Sixers would have to pass Washington and Indiana to grab the No. 4 seed and stave off a potential Toronto or Boston matchup for at least a round.
The Hornets missed 17 of 21 shots in the third (1 of 5 on 3s) to crush their chances of stretching a seven-point halftime lead.
Kemba Walker led the Hornets, coming off a 124-101 loss to the Knicks, with 24 points. Wily Hernangomez scored 17 points off the bench in just 12 minutes in the first half to help the Hornets lead 56-49 at the break. In Indianapolis, Victor Oladipo sparked a decisive run and finished with 20 points, Myles Turner had 21 points and Indiana recovered from a poor start for a victory over Los Angeles.
The victory snapped Indiana’s two-game losing streak.
Los Angeles was led by Kyle Kuzma with 27 points and Brook Lopez with 23, but the Lakers still lost their third straight. In New York, Allen Crabbe and Caris LeVert each scored 22 points and Brooklyn beat Memphis.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and DeMarre Carroll scored 18 points for the Nets, who have two straight wins for the first time since Jan. 19-21.
Andrew Harrison, who missed Memphis’ last nine games due to a right wrist injury, scored 19 points, and Brionte Webber had a careerhigh 15. The Grizzlies have lost 20 of 21.
Memphis was without Marc Gasol due to flu-like symptoms.
In Miami, James Johnson scored a career-high 31 points, Kelly Olynyk added 30 off the bench and Miami Heat set a franchise single-game scoring record by beating Denver in double overtime.
Miami’s total was also an NBA season-high and helped the Heat get back to the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Houston and Oklahoma City each scored 148 in games earlier this season.
Wayne Ellington scored 29 points for the Heat. Nikola Jokic had 34 for Denver, while Wilson Chandler added 26 for the Nuggets.
Neither team was at full strength. For Miami, Dwyane Wade (left hamstring strain) missed his fourth consecutive game, and Hassan Whiteside (left hip pain) sat out his fifth straight contest. Denver was without leading scorer Gary Harris, sidelined again by a strained right knee that could keep him out several more days. In San Antonio, LaMarcus Aldridge had 33 points and 12 rebounds, and San Antonio blew a 16-point lead to injuryravaged Golden State before pulling away for a victory.
The Spurs beat Golden State for the first time in four tries this season and won their fourth straight overall to move into fifth place in the Western Conference, one-half game ahead of idle Utah and New Orleans.
Already without injured AllStars Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, the Warriors lost Draymond Green in the second quarter to a bruise in the pelvic area. Green took a knee to the groin while defending a drive to the basket by Danny Green.
The Warriors weren’t getting any sympathy from a Spurs team that has played without Kawhi Leonard for much of the season.
Golden State still managed to hold the Spurs to 12 points in the third quarter, matching their season low for points in any period.
Quinn Cook led Golden State with 20 points, Kevon Looney added 12 and Andre Iguodala and Nick Young had 10 each.
Patty Mills finished with 12 points and Danny Green added 11.
In New York, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22 points and Michael Beasley added 17 as New York beat Chicago.
Enes Kanter had 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Troy Williams added 11 for the Knicks.
Cristiano Felicio scored a career-high 17 points for the Bulls, who were missing their top three scorers and went 3-for-30 from 3-point range. Bobby Portis and Antonio Blakeney scored 16 points apiece. In Sacramento, Calif., Blake Grifin scored 26 points and Ish Smith added 18 to lead Detroit to a win over Sacramento.
Buddy Hield scored 20 points to lead the Kings and De’Aaron Fox added 16.