Heat torch Cavaliers, 120-92
MIAMI — Goran Dragic scored 23 points, Hassan Whiteside had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and the Miami Heat beat the undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers 120-92 on Saturday night.
Tyler Johnson added 17 points for the Heat, who won for the 18th time in their last 22 games.
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sat out for Cleveland, both getting the night off to rest. The Cavaliers fell to 0-5 this season when James isn’t in the lineup, and continue to be without two other would-be starters in Kevin Love and J.R. Smith — both still recovering from surgeries. Newly signed center Andrew Bogut also wasn’t with the Cavaliers.
Channing Frye scored 21 points and Kyle Korver added 15 for the Cavaliers, who have lost their last 12 games in Miami. This one was largely drama-free until the final seconds, when players from both sides did a little shouting back and forth, with Miami’s Dion Waiters — a former Cavs guard — among those most upset.
SPURS 97, TIMBERWOLVES 90 (OT)
In San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard had 34 points and 10 rebounds and the Spurs overcame a listless start to beat Minnesota and wrap up its 20th straight playoff spot.
The Spurs won in overtime for the second straight night to extend their winning streak to seven.
LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, and Pau Gasol had 17 points and eight rebounds in his fifth straight game as a reserve. The Spurs outscored the Timberwolves 35-20 in the final quarter and overtime.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota. The Timberwolves had not played since Wednesday night in Utah and had won four of five.
CLIPPERS 101, BULLS 91
In Chicago, reserve Jamal Crawford scored 25 points and took over down the stretch to carry Los Angeles over the Bulls.
Crawford, a former Bulls guard who won his third Sixth Man of the Year award last season, scored 10 points in a 14-7 spurt in the fourth quarter as the Clippers won for just the second time in six games.
Chris Paul added 17 points and Blake Griffin had 16 for Los Angeles, which lost in Milwaukee on Friday and had fallen to the fifth spot in the Western Conference standings.
Jimmy Butler scored 16 points for the Bulls, who had won five of their last six games.
ROCKETS 123, GRIZZLIES 108
In Houston, James Harden scored 33 points and Clint Capela had 24 to help the Rockets build a big lead in the third quarter and coast to a victory over Memphis.
Eric Gordon added 18 points and made six of Houston’s 18 3-pointers in the victory that tied the season series with the Grizzlies at 2-2.
Houston led by 15 to start the fourth quarter and was up 109-89 after an alley-oop dunk by Capela midway through the quarter. The Grizzlies resorted to the Hack-a-Shaq technique of intentionally fouling Capela soon after that, but he made eight of 10 attempts before going to the bench with Houston up by 16 with about 3½ minutes left.
Mike Conley had 23 points for the Grizzlies and JaMychal Green added 20.
BUCKS 101, RAPTORS 94
In Milwaukee, Khris Middleton scored a seasonhigh 24 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 21 and the Bucks beat Toronto.
Malcolm Brogdon had 17 and Spencer Hawes finished with 16 off the bench for Milwaukee, which halted a seven-game losing streak to Toronto.
Serge Ibaka had 19 points and Cory Joseph 14 for Toronto.
The Bucks entered the fourth quarter with a 13-point lead but the Raptors got within four about halfway through the period. Back-to-back baskets by Antetokounmpo put Milwaukee back in control and the Raptors got no closer than seven points the rest of the way. After ice-cold shooting in the first quarter, the Bucks scored 41 points in the second to grab a 53-42 lead at the half. Hawes had 14 points in the period.
HORNETS 112, NUGGETS 102
In Denver, Kemba Walker scored 27 points, Nicolas Batum had 21 points and eight assists, and Charlotte beat the Nuggets.
Marvin Williams had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets, who wrapped up a seven-game road trip with an impressive victory.
The Nuggets came out flat after two impressive road wins in the middle of the week. Nikola Jokic led them with 31 points and 14 rebounds, while Danilo Gallinari scored 22 points.
Charlotte took the lead for good with a 17-0 run late in the first quarter and then scored the first 10 points of the third to go up 71-52.
PISTONS 136, 76ERS 106
In Philadelphia, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13 of his 26 points in Detroit’s dominating third quarter, and the Pistons set a season high for points.
The Pistons, holding the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, had lost two of three, including Wednesday’s 109-86 drubbing at New Orleans that resulted in coach Stan Van Gundy calling out point guard Reggie Jackson.
Van Gundy told reporters Friday that he wanted to see Jackson play with more energy and contemplated starting backup point guard Ish Smith over Jackson on Saturday. Jackson, though, did make the start and scored 21 points.