LeBron scores 51 points, Lakers beat Heat
MIAMI >> LeBron James scored 51 points against his former club and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat 113-97 on Sunday night.
James had 19 points in the first quarter to help the Lakers open a big lead.
The 51 points were a season high for James, and the most he’s scored against Miami; he had 47 against the Heat twice. His last shot was a 32-footer with 16 seconds left, capping the 13th
50-point game of his career — including playoffs — and he threw the ball skyward at midcourt when time expired.
It was James’ first time winning against Miami since he left the Heat after the 2014 NBA Finals. He was
0-4 when facing the Heat since.
SPURS 104, WARRIORS 92 >> LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and 18 rebounds and San Antonio Spurs fended off a late rally to beat shorthanded Golden State, extending the Warriors’ skid to three games.
DeMar DeRozan had 20 points, and Rudy Gay added
19 to help San Antonio snap a three-game slide.
Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Klay Thompson had 25 for Golden State. The Warriors are 2-5 since an eight-game winning streak. The Warriors were without injured starters Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and their absence led to a cold start. Three nights after being held to a seasonlow output in a 107-86 loss at Houston, the two-time defending NBA champions nearly matched that dubious mark.
TRAIL BLAZERS 119, WIZARDS
109 >> Damian Lillard scored
40 points, C.J. McCullom added 25 and Portland beat Washington to snap a twogame losing streak and improve to 11-5.
MAGIC 131, KNICKS 117 >> Aaron Gordon scored 20 of his 31 points in the first quarter and Orlando held off New York for its seventh victory in nine games.
Nikola Vucevic had 28 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. The Magic shot
57 percent and set a season high for points, surpassing the 130 they scored Saturday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored
32 points for New York, Trey Burke added 31 and Enes Kanter had 21 points and 19 rebounds. The Knicks have lost five straight. GRIZZLIES 100, TIMBERWOLVES 87 >> Marc Gasol had
26 points and 13 rebounds, Mike Conley added 18 points and nine assists and Memphis pulled away to beat Minnesota,
Gasol was 4 of 7 from 3-point range and Memphis hit 12 overall. The Grizzlies forced Minnesota into 20 turnovers and turned them into 19 points.