LEBRON BREAKS JORDAN RECORD AS CAVS TOP PELICANS

CLEVELAND» LeBron James scored in double digits in his 867th straight game, breaking Michael Jordan’s record, and the Cavaliers rallied to beat the Pelicans 107-102 on Friday night to avoid slipping in the standings.

James finished with 27 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, adding another stellar performance to his MVP-worthy 15th NBA season. He finally put the Pelicans away by scoring eight straight in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.

Jordan Clarkson added 23 points and Tristan Thompson had 14 rebounds in 21 minutes for the Cavs, who have won seven of eight. A loss would have dropped the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions from third to fifth with only a handful of games left in the regular season.

For New Orleans, Jrue Holiday scored 25 and Nikola Mirotic scored 20. Pelicans star Anthony Davis scored just 16 — 12 below his average — on 6-of-19 shooting as he was harassed by Thompson and Larry Nance Jr.

James broke Jordan’s mark midway through the first quarter in fitting fashion, delivering a two-handed dunk that Mirotic and Pelicans forward Solomon Hill didn’t dare try to stop.

During a stoppage in play, James was handed the game ball and received a rousing ovation from Cleveland’s sellout crowd.

Jordan’s mark had stood since 2001.

FRIDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

Gerald Green made a 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Rockets rallied from a 21-point, secondhalf deficit for a 104-103 victory over the Suns. The win was Houston’s 11th straight and extended Phoenix’s skid to 14 games. … Ben Simmons had a triple-double in three quarters, Ersan Ilyasova scored 21 points and the 76ers won their ninth straight game with a 101-91 victory over the Hawks. … Rookie Lauri Markkanen and Sean Kilpatrick each scored 13 points, rookie Ryan Arcidiacono had all of his eight points in the fourth quarter, and the Bulls snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 90-82 victory over the Magic.… Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 20 rebounds, Jamal Crawford scored 24 points and the Timberwolves held off the Mavericks 93-92 to gain ground in the tight Western Conference playoff race. … Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points and Dante Exum had a season-high 21 to lead the over the

107-97.