Sidelines: Sixers showcase themselves for LeBron, down Cavaliers.
76ers 108 Cavaliers 97
CLEVELAND — J.J. Redick scored 22 points, Joel Embiid had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers delivered an inperson sales pitch to LeBron James by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-97 on Thursday night to end an 11-game losing streak against the Eastern Conference champions.
Ben Simmons scored 18 and Dario Saric 16, including a critical 3-pointer in the closing minutes, for the rising Sixers, who are 8-2 since Feb. 6.
James finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Earlier this week, three billboards urging the three-time champion to sign as a free agent this summer with Philadelphia were unveiled on a busy highway outside Cleveland. James said he hadn’t seen the signs, which were paid for by a Pennsylvania company, but he was pleased that fans want him.
The Sixers gave him a glimpse of what he could be joining.
Philadelphia nearly blew a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter as the Cavs, who never led, got within 95-94 on Kyle Korver’s 3-pointer with 2:25 left. But the young Sixers showed poise by scoring the next eight points to seal an impressive win.
Tempers flared in the closing seconds when Saric dunked and Cleveland’s Jordan Clarkson threw the ball off his back. Clarkson was ejected but that didn’t stop players from jawing at each other.
After the final horn, James walked to Philadelphia’s end of the floor and to hug both Simmons and Embiid, embraces that had to make Cleveland fans cringe.
LAKERS 131, HEAT 113
In Miami, Isaiah Thomas scored a season-high 29 points, Julius Randle added 25 and the Los Angeles Lakers continued their surge by topping the Heat.
Brandon Ingram added 19, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 18 and Kyle Kuzma finished with 16 for the Lakers, who won in Miami for the first time since Feb. 10, 2008. The Lakers shot 59 percent and were 16 of 29 from 3-point range.
It was the most points allowed by the Heat this season.
Thomas, whose previous season best was 24, connected on 11 of 20 shots and 6 of 11 3-point tries. Randle had 21 points in the first half for the Lakers, who are 16-7 since an 11-27 start — and at 27-34, have now passed last season’s win total.
Dwyane Wade scored 25 points for Miami. Goran Dragic had 19, Justise Winslow scored 17 and Josh Richardson and Bam Adebayo each added 15 for the Heat.
KINGS 116, NETS 111 (OT)
In Sacramento, Calif., Bogdan Bogdanovic made a go-ahead short runner from the baseline with 1:06 left in overtime, then added a pair of free throws and the Kings beat Brooklyn.
The Kings blew a lead late in the fourth quarter but outscored the Nets 16-11 in the extra period to end a five-game losing streak.
Spencer Dinwiddie’s bucket with 1:22 left gave Brooklyn a 111110 lead before Bogdanovic drove into traffic near the baseline then pulled up for the basket that gave the Kings the lead for good.
After Dinwiddie missed a 3-pointer, Buddy Hield made a pair of free throws to make it 114-111. Bogdanovic sank two free throws after D’Angelo Russell also missed a 3-pointer.
It’s the Kings’ first season sweep of the Nets since 2007-08.