Sexton’s 25 lead Cavaliers over Durant-less Nets
CLEVELAND » Collin Sexton had 25 points and nine assists, Andre Drummond added 19 points and 16 rebounds and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Brooklyn Nets for the second time in three days, 125-113 on Friday night.
The Nets played without superstar Kevin Durant, who was held out as a precautionary measure as he continues his comeback from right Achilles tendon surgery.
Kyrie Irving scored 38 points and James Harden had 19 points and 11 assists for Brooklyn, which lost 147-135 in double-overtime to the Cavaliers in the debut of its high-scoring trio Wednesday.
Jarrett Allen — acquired from the Nets in the Harden megatrade on Jan. 14 — had 19 points and six rebounds off the bench.
ROCKETS 103, PISTONS 102 » Jerami Grant’s driving layup on the final play came too late, and Houston held on to beat Detroit. Down one with 3.4 seconds remaining, the Pistons inbounded to Grant, who drove down the the lane. Time clearly ran out before he laid the ball in, but he was also bumped by P.J. Tucker. Replays showed contact also came after time expired, and after a review, the game ended. PAVERS 120, MAGIC 118 » Malcolm Brogdon hit the decisive 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left in overtime, lifting Indiana past Orlando. HAWKS 116, TIMBERWOLVES 98 » Trae Young scored a season-high 43 points, Clint Capela had 13 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks and Atlanta topped Minnesota. RAPTORS 101, HEAT 81» Norman Powell scored 23 points, OG Anunoby added 21 and Toronto beat Miami after blowing a 21-point. BULLS 123, HORNETS 110 » Zach LaVine continued his strong play with 25 points and nine assists, leading Chicago past Charlotte for its third straight victory.
Cavs ship Porter to Rockets
CLEVELAND » Kevin Porter quickly went from being a future star with the Cavaliers to part of their past.
Cleveland completed its trade with Houston, sending Porter to the Rockets for a second-round draft pick, a deal the Cavs had no choice to make after running out of patience with a player they once viewed as a possible franchise cornerstone.