Booker lights it up as Suns win again
Devin Booker scored 35 points, Chris Paul had 12 assists and made four free throws in the final 8.8 seconds, and the Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to 14 games by holding off the host Cleveland Cavaliers 120-115 on Wednesday night.
Phoenix’s run started with a win over Cleveland on Oct. 30, coming after a 1-3 opening to the season for the defending Western Conference champions. The Suns have been perfect since and improved the NBA’s best road record to 7-1.
It wasn’t easy.
The young Cavs gave the Suns everything they could handle, and if not for Paul, a couple calls that could have gone either way and Cleveland’s Ricky Rubio missing three free throws in the final seconds, the streak might have ended.
Jarrett Allen had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Cedi Osman added 23 points for Cleveland, which dropped its fifth straight. LAKERS 124, PACERS 116, OT >> LeBron James made the tiebreaking 3-pointer in overtime and followed with a back-breaking 3 in his return from the first suspension of his career to help Los Angeles defeat Indiana.
James finished with 37 points on 13-of-29 shooting and had six assists and five rebounds, with the Lakers playing without Anthony Davis because of flu-like symptoms.
On Sunday night in a victory at Detroit, James was ejected for striking Pistons center Isaiah Stewart in the face and drawing blood. The NBA suspended him a game and he sat out the Lakers’ loss at New York on Tuesday night.
The Lakers finished a five-game trip with their second win in six games.
Malcolm Brogdon led Indiana with 28 points, HORNETS 106, MAGIC 99
>> Terry Rozier scored 27 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. came off the bench with 21 points and six rebounds to help Charlotte overcome poor shooting in a road victory over Orlando.
LaMelo Ball had 22 points for the Hornets, who won for the seventh time in eight games.
Mo Bamba had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando. Rookie Jalen Suggs had 17 points and six assists in the Magic’s fourth straight loss.
BUCKS 114, PISTONS 93 >> Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points, Bobby Portis added 28 and host Milwaukee continued its dominance over Detroit.
The victory was the Bucks’ fifth in a row overall and its 12th straight over the Pistons, dating to 2018.
Jrue Holiday had 22 points for the Bucks, who jumped out to a 14-0 lead and never trailed.
NETS 123, CELTICS 104 >> Kevin Durant scored 21 points to pass Allen Iverson and move into the top 25 on the NBA’s career scoring list, and Brooklyn beat Boston.
Patty Mills added 23 points, and James Harden had 20 points and 11 assists for Brooklyn, which has won four in a row, seven out of eight and 12 of its last 14 games. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Marcus Smart had 20 points and eight assists for Boston, which had won three in a row. Jayson Tatum had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics, who cut a 29-point, third-quarter lead to 12 early in the fourth, but could get no closer. ROCKETS 118, BULLS 113 >> Danuel House Jr. had 18 points, Christian Wood added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Houston ended its losing streak at 15, beating visiting Chicago.
Kevin Porter Jr. had 14 points, six rebounds and nine assists after missing three games because of a bruised left thigh. Second overall pick Jalen Green scored 11 points in the first quarter before exiting with a left leg injury.