LeBron, Lakers knock off Spurs, 105-94
SAN ANTONIO — Lakers star LeBron James scored 21 points in his return from a five-game absence, and Anthony Davis had 25 points and 15 rebounds in the team’s first road victory of the season, a 105-94 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.
James had been sidelined by a strained left adductor. He was 8 for 17 from the field and had eight rebounds and five assists.
Davis, who averaged 31.8 points and 17.4 rebounds during James’ absence, was five points shy of his fifth straight 30/15 game.
Tre Jones had 19 points for San Antonio in its seventh straight loss. Devin Vassell added 18.
The teams will meet again in San Antonio on Saturday night.
ROCKETS 128,
HAWKS 122
HOUSTON — Jalen Green scored 30 points, and Houston rallied for the win.
Kenyon Martin Jr. and rookie Jabari Smith Jr. each had 21 points for the Rockets.
Atlanta wasted stellar performances by Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Young had a season-high 44 points and Murray set career highs with 39 points and eight 3-pointers in a game where big man Clint Capela didn’t play because of dental pain.
BUCKS 117, CAVALIERS 102
MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points and the Milwaukee Bucks used a 23-2 run in the first eight-plus minutes of the third quarter to rally past the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Bucks came back from a 16-point deficit and snapped Cleveland’s four-game win streak by outscoring the Cavaliers 35-10 in the third period. The Cavaliers hadn’t scored below 15 points in any quarter this season before Friday.
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and Darius Garland added 20 for Cleveland.
Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen played only 12 minutes and scored one point before leaving with a hip injury.
CELTICS 122, KINGS 104
BOSTON — Jayson Tatum scored 30 points and the NBA-best Celtics pulled away for the victory.
Jaylen Brown added 25 points and Derrick White had 16 for Boston (15-4), which won for the 11th time in 12 games. Al Horford finished with 13 points, and Tatum had eight rebounds.
De’Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 20 points. Domantas Sabonis had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Davion Mitchell scored 13. The Kings have lost two straight after a seven-game winning streak.
76ERS 107, MAGIC 99
ORLANDO, Fla. — Shake Milton had 24 points, a career-high 10 assists and nine rebounds, lifting the short-handed 76ers to the win.
Tobias Harris added 23 points for Philadelphia, and reserve Georges Niang made five 3-pointers on his way to 18 points. It was the Sixers’ ninth straight win against the Magic.
Philadelphia played without Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey because of injuries.
Franz Wagner scored 24 points for Orlando, which has dropped three straight.
Magic forward Paolo Banchero, one of the NBA’s top rookies, played for the first time since Nov. 7 after missing seven games with a sprained left ankle. He finished with 19 points, four rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes.
TRAIL BLAZERS 132,
KNICKS 129, OT
NEW YORK — Jerami Grant scored a career-high 44 points, Anfernee Simons had 38 and the Trail Blazers outlasted the Knicks.
Simons’ 3-pointer gave Portland an eight-point lead in the extra period and the Blazers held on when Grant made just enough of his 28 free throws, most by an NBA player this season. He hit 21, going 4 of 6 in OT.
Jusuf Nurkic finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Blazers, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and Julius Randle had 23 for the Knicks.
GRIZZLIES 132, PELICANS 111
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Dillon Brooks scored 25 points and Ja Morant had 23 points and 11 assists, powering Memphis to the win.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 20 points and three blocks for Memphis. Steven Adams, who was questionable before the game with a non-COVID-19 illness, added 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 21 points. Zion Williamson had 14 points, going 6 of 12 from the field.
The Pelicans were without CJ McCollum, who sat out under the NBA’s health and safety protocol. New Orleans lost Brandon Ingram in the second quarter when he sprained his left big toe.
HORNETS 110, TIMBERWOLVES 108
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 28 points, and Charlotte stopped Minnesota’s five-game win streak.
Terry Rozier had 22 points and eight assists, helping the Hornets (6-14) win back-toback games for the first time this season. P.J. Washington scored 16 points, and reserve Theo Maledon finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Edwards scored 25 points for the Timberwolves (10-9).