Cavs blow 22-point lead in 97-95 loss to Pacers Timberwolves win seventh straight at home

INDIANAPOLIS — Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue knows there is no easy fix for all his team’s problems.

But considering the Cavs had lost six of eight going into Friday’s finale of a five-game road trip against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and had been blown out in the last two, Lue won’t argue with a better effort that felt like progress.

The Cavs came out engaged and jumped out to a 22-point first-quarter lead. In the second half, fatigue and a determined effort by the Pacers seemingly caught up with the oldest team in the league.

A last-gasp chance for victory ended with a LeBron James turnover with 1.7 seconds left as the Pacers rallied for a 97-95 victory.

MINNEAPOLIS — This one, perhaps, wasn’t as pretty as recent Wolves victories have been.

The defense was spotty Friday against the New York Knicks at Target Center. The Knicks shot north of 55 percent for much of the night. No matter. Up just a point entering the fourth quarter, the Wolves got down to work. Opening the quarter on a 16-4 run, the Wolves took a 13-point lead on Karl-Anthony Towns’ three-point play, saw that lead grow to 19, then held on for a 118108 victory at Target Center in front of an announced 18,978 fans. It was the team’s sixth straight sellout, ninth overall this season.

Sometimes, one really good quarter is enough.

The Wolves (28-16) stayed hot, winning their fourth straight overall — their five-game homestand ends Sunday against Portland — and their 11th in the last 15 games.

Strong finish gives Nets 110-105 victory over Hawks

ATLANTA — Nothing is easy for the Nets lately, but after allowing the Hawks to hang around right down to the wire, they pulled out a 110-105 victory by scoring the final six points to snap a three-game losing streak Friday night at Philips Arena. Spencer Dinwiddie scored four straight points in that finishing stretch and finished with 20 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to miss a triple-double by one board.

Jahlil Okafor had his most efficient outing as Net, scoring six points in a 90 run early in the fourth quarter for an 85-80 lead. Okafor totaled 17 points in 12 minutes, He shot 6 for 8 and had 11 points in the fourth quarter. But he went to the bench with 5:26 to play and the Nets trailing 92-88.

The Nets scored six straight points to take a 94-92 lead on a dunk by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson at the 3:48 mark, but once again, they couldn’t hold it as the Hawks grabbed a 99-94 advantage on a three-point play by Dennis Schroeder followed by a 3-point jumper by Dewayne Dedmon.

A 7-2 burst by the Nets gave them a one-point lead on a three-point play by Hollis-Jefferson with 1:12 left, but two foul shots by Kent Bazemore restored a 105-104 Hawks lead.