James has triple-double, Cavs claim 7th straight
CLEVELAND — LeBron James had 27 points, 16 rebounds and 13 assists, J.R. Smith made the tiebreaking free throw with 48 seconds left, and the Cleveland Cavaliers extended their winning streak to seven straight with a 100-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.
James had season highs in rebounds and assists in his 57th career triple-double. He’s 41-6 in the regular season against Charlotte and the Cavaliers have won 12 of 13, including eight straight against the Hornets.
For Black Friday, the Cavaliers wore black uniforms. Cleveland also wore black jerseys when it won the first championship in franchise history, but the current edition is minus the sleeves from Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. third quarter to snap a three-game losing streak and beat the New York Knicks. The Hawks, last in the Eastern Conference with a 4-15 record, won just their second home game by outhustling New York with a 24-5 advantage in second-chance points.
Wayne Ellington scored 21 points and made six 3-pointers off the bench, Goran Dragic added 20 points and the Miami Heat rode a season-best shooting performance from behind the arc to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. Andre Drummond had 17 points and 14 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons overcame a 15-point deficit to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. Russell Westbrook had his sixth triple-double of the season for Oklahoma City with 27 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. He missed a long 3-point attempt on the final possession to finish 1 of 10 from 3-point range and 10 of 29 from the field. Victor Oladipo scored 21 points, Bojan Bogdonavic added 19 and the Indiana Pacers beat the Toronto Raptors. Lance Stephenson had 13 of his 18 points in the final five minutes and shot 7 for 9 from the field, including 4 for 4 from 3-point range. Stephenson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Indiana a 103-92 lead with 4:06 remaining. Anthony Davis had 23 points and nine rebounds, DeMarcus Cousins added 19 points and 10 boards and the New Orleans Pelicans routed the Phoenix Suns. Davis and Cousins sat out the fourth quarter, watching from the bench long after the outcome had been decided in the Pelicans’ most one-sided victory of the season.
Nikolo Jokic scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and had 13 rebounds and eight assists to help Denver beat Memphis. Gary Harris and Jamal Murray added 15 points apiece. The Nuggets won their fifth straight at home. JaMychal Green had 21 points for the Grizzlies in their seventh loss in a row. It’s the longest losing streak for the Grizzlies since a seven-game skid from Nov. 1-11, 2009.
Derrick Rose’s injuries might have pushed him to a breaking point. The former league MVP, who has been trying to revive his career with the Cavaliers, left the team earlier this week to handle a personal matter. A team spokesman said Friday that Rose has been excused since Wednesday and there is no timetable for his return. The team did not offer any other details about Rose’s absence. ESPN reported that Rose is taking personal time “to evaluate his future in the NBA.” A team source told ESPN that Rose’s numerous injuries are “taking a toll on him mentally.” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue expects Rose to return to the team.