Suns hold off Cavaliers late to earn 14th straight victory
CLEVELAND >> Devin Booker scored 35 points, Chris Paul had 12 assists and made four free throws in the final 8.8 seconds and the Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to 14 games, holding off the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-115 on Wednesday night.
Phoenix’s run started with a victory over Cleveland on Oct. 30, coming after a 1-3 opening for the defending Western Conference champions. The Suns have been perfect since and improved the NBA’s best road record to 7-1.
Paul finished with 17 points, and JaVale McGee added 13 points and 12 rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.
Phoenix’s winning streak is the third-longest in club history, matching a 14-gamer by the club in 1992. The Suns won 17 straight during the 2006-07 season.
The young Cavs gave the Suns everything they could handle, and if not for Paul, a couple calls that could have gone either way and Cleveland’s Ricky Rubio missing three free throws in the final seconds, the streak might have ended.
LAKERS 124, PACERS 116
LeBron James made the tiebreaking 3-pointer in overtime and followed with a back-breaking 3 in his return from the first suspension of his career to help Los Angeles beat Indiana.
James finished with 39 points on 13-of-29 shooting and had six assists and five rebounds, with the Lakers playing without Anthony Davis because of flu-like symptoms.
ROCKETS 118, BULLS 113 >>
Danuel House Jr. had 18 points, Christian Wood added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Houston beat Chicago to end its losing streak at 15.
Kevin Porter Jr. had 14 points, six rebounds and
nine assists after missing three games because of a bruised left thigh.
NETS 123, CELTICS 104 >> Kevin Durant scored 21 points to pass Allen Iverson and move into the top 25 on the NBA’s career scoring list, and Brooklyn beat Boston.
Patty Mills added 23 points, and James Harden had 20 points and 11 assists for Brooklyn, which has won four in a row, seven out of eight and 12 of its last 14 games.
BUCKS 114, PISTONS 93 >> Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points, Bobby Portis added 28 and defending champion Milwaukee beat Detroit for its fifth straight victory.
Milwaukee has won 12 in a row against Detroit, dating to 2018. That is tied for the third-longest current winning streak by one NBA team over another.
JAZZ 110, THUNDER 104 >> Donovan Mitchell scored six straight points in the final minute and Utah held off
Oklahoma City.
Mitchell had a rough shooting night before the final surge, hitting just four of his first 14 shots. He finished with 13 points.
TIMBERWOLVES 113, HEAT 101 >> Anthony Edwards had 33 points and 14 rebounds and led Minnesota’s 3-point spree in the second half, as the Timberwolves beat Jimmy Butler and Miami for their fifth straight victory.
HAWKS 124, SPURS 106 >> Trae Young scored 31 points and Atlanta beat San Antonio for its sixth straight victory.
HORNETS 106, MAGIC 99 >> Terry Rozier scored 27 points, and LaMelo Ball added 22 and Charlotte beat Orlando.
RAPTORS 126, GRIZZLIES 113 >> Gary Trent Jr. scored 17 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and Toronto rallied to beat Memphis.
PELICANS 127, WIZARDS 102 >> Brandon Ingram scored 24 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and New Orleans won for just the fourth time this season, beating Washington.