Cavs start slow, finish fast vs. 76ers

The Cavaliers missed their first 14 shots and never led through the first three quarters but they rallied in the fourth to edge the 76ers 112-108 on Sunday in Philadelphia.

Kyrie Irving had 19 of his season-high 39 points in the fourth and LeBron James finished with a triple-double (26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists).

Kevin Love chipped in 25 points and 11 rebounds to help the defending league champions (13-2) secure their fourth straight win.

“When you have great players, it can come from any of us at any given moment,” Irving said. “When one of us gets it going, we always continue to go to that person. It can be anybody’s night. We’re always trusting each other. That fourth quarter was just for me to be aggressive.”

Joel Embiid led seven players in double figures with 22 points for the 76ers, who have lost three straight. Embiid also had nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

Hornets F Marvin Williams will miss about a week after an MRI revealed a bone bruise in his left knee. Williams suffered the injury during the Hornets’ loss to the Knicks on Friday in New York. He sat out the Hornets’ win over the Knicks on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C.

The Panthers fired coach Gerard Gallant after the team’s 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes on Sunday night, SportsNet reported.

With the latest loss, the Panthers are 11-10-1 and 10th in the Eastern Conference.

Tom Rowe, who was promoted to general manager before the season, will assume the coaching duties, The Associated Press reported.

The Panthers next play Tuesday against the Blackhawks in Chicago, the second game of a six-game trip for the reigning Atlantic Division champions.

Gallant — a coach of the year finalist last season — was 96-65-25 in parts of three seasons with the Panthers.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews sat out his second consecutive game Saturday night with an upper-body injury. Toews suffered the injury during the Hawks’ 2-1 loss to the Sharks on Wednesday in San Jose, Calif. Without Toews, the Hawks closed out their season-high seven-game road trip with a 3-2 win over the Ducks on Friday and a 2-1 loss in OT to the Kings on Saturday.