Nuggets go long-range to top struggling Cavs

Tucked inside his lockerroom cubicle, LeBron James was getting dressed following another tough loss when a familiar voice grabbed his attention.

Richard Jefferson came to visit.

James smiled at his former teammate, and in that moment, things were like they used to be for the Cavaliers.

Right now, everything’s a struggle.

Gary Harris scored 32 points, Will Barton added 23 and the visiting Denver Nuggets did most of their damage behind the 3-point arc in a 126-117 win over Cleveland on Saturday night.

The Nuggets dropped 19 3-pointers, including three in the final 2:26, to hold off a

second-half charge from the Cavs, who remain a work in progress as they try to blend four new players in on the fly.

“We’re all trying to get better,” said James, who played 42 minutes. “It’s not just the guys at the (trade) deadline, it’s all of us. We’re all trying to figure it out.”

James finished with 25 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds — his 13th tripledouble this season — but Cleveland’s lack of a dependable No. 2 scorer while Kevin Love is out with a broken left hand continues to be a major problem.

More troublesome, though, is the Cavs’ defense or lack of it. Whenever Denver needed a

big basket, the Nuggets got it by taking the extra pass and knocking down 3s.

Heat 105, Pistons 96: Kelly Olynyk and Josh Richardson each scored 17 points, and host Miami enhanced its playoff hopes with a win over Detroit.

Magic 107, Grizzlies 100: Evan Fournier broke a tie on a long 3pointer with 22.5 seconds left, and host Orlando rookie Jonathan Isaac helped preserve the lead with his third block in a win that stretched Memphis’ losing streak to 13 games.

Rockets 123, Celtics 120: Eric Gordon scored 29 points off the bench, James Harden had 26 points and 10 assists, and Houston outlasted visiting Boston to extend its winning streak to a season-high 15 games. Houston trailed by six before using a 10-2 run, with the last five points coming from Trevor Ariza, to take a

117-115 lead with 1:16 remaining. Ariza made a 3-pointer before stealing the ball from Kyrie Irving and finishing with a basket on the other end to cap the run.

Lakers 116, Spurs 112: Lonzo Ball hit a career-best six 3-pointers, Julius Randle had 25 points and Los Angeles rallied in the final two minutes to beat host San Antonio. Ball made three shots from beyond the arc in the final three minutes to give the Lakers their fifth straight victory. Ball finished with 18 points, and Isaiah Thomas added 21 points.

Jazz 98, Kings 91: Donovan Mitchell scored eight of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and visiting Utah beat Sacramento. Trail Blazers 108, Thunder 100: CJ McCollum contributed 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists as Portland defeated Oklahoma City, which got 30 points from Russell Westbrook.