LeBron, Cavs stun Raptors
LeBron James scored 35 points and added 17 assists, his last setting up a late a 3-pointer by Kevin Love, and the undermanned Cavaliers ended Toronto’s nine-game road winning streak with a 132-129 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors last night in Cleveland.
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.
Love, playing his second game after missing 21 games with a broken left hand, finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds and George Hill had 22 on 10-of-11 shooting for the Cavs.
Kyle Lowry scored 24 and DeRozan had 21 for the Raptors, who scored 79 points in the first half and were in control in the third quarter before James brought Cleveland back.
76ers 119, Grizzlies 105 — Robert Covington, J.J. Redick and Dario Saric each had 15 points to pace all five Philadelphia starters in double-figures in a romp over visiting Memphis.
Joel Embiid added 14 points and Ben Simmons had 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the 76ers, who won their fourth straight to improve to a season-best 10 games over .500. None of the starters played in the fourth quarter.
Wayne Selden Jr. had 18 points to lead Memphis, which has lost 21 of 22 overall and 16 in a row on the road.
Pelicans 96, Pacers 92 — Anthony Davis capped a 28-point, 13-rebound, five-block performance with a 15foot baseline fade, a gritty put-back and two free throws in the final minute, and host New Orleans outlasted Indiana.
E’Twaun Moore scored 23 for New Orleans, which had to overcome a scrappy defensive effort by Indiana to win its third straight. Victor Oladipo led Indiana with 21 points.
Heat 119, Knicks 98 — Kelly Olynyk scored 22 points and handed out a career-high 10 assists, Tyler Johnson added 22 points and host Miami had little trouble on the way to beating New York to stay seventh in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Clippers 127, Bucks 120 — DeAndre Jordan had 25 points and 22 rebounds to lead Los Angeles past host Milwaukee, which lost All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to a right ankle sprain late in the first half and did not return.
Khris Middleton paced Milwaukee with 23 points. Antetokounmpo had 12 points before departing.
Nuggets 135, Bulls 102 — Nikola Jokic had 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists on “Serbian Heritage Night,” and Denver routed host Chicago to pull within 1.5 games of idle Utah for eighth in the Western Conference playoff race.
Hornets 111, Nets 105 — Dwight Howard had 32 points and 30 rebounds, and Charlotte stormed back to win in Brooklyn.