LeBron leads Cavs, takes another shot at Trump
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LeBron James registered his fourth triple-double in five games with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists as the streaking Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Washington Wizards 106-99 on Sunday night.
Kevin Love led the Cavaliers with 25 points, while Jeff Green had 15 points. Cleveland has won 18 of 19 games, including the past five.
Little separated the Eastern Conference contenders for much of the game as the teams were tied at the end of the second and third quarters. James’s three-pointer early in the fourth quarter put the Cavaliers in front for good and sparked an 8-0 run. Green’s three-point play capped the surge as Cleveland led 95-89 with 6:55 remaining.
Bradley Beal scored 27 points for the Wizards, who had won two in a row. John Wall had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Washington made 12 three-pointers, but finished 9-of-16 (56%) on free throws.
James also used the visit to Washington to express his continued displeasure at Donald Trump, without once mentioning the United States president by name.
James took the court wearing one white and one black shoe for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Washington Wizards in an NBA game in the national capital.
Both shoes had the word “EQUALITY” stitched in capital letters on the back, and they got the attention he apparently was seeking.
“Obviously, we know where we are right now and we know who’s at the helm here,” the four-times NBA most valuable player told reporters after the game, played barely a mile from the White House.
“Equality is all about understanding our rights, understanding what we stand for and how powerful we are as men, and as women, black or white or Hispanic.”
James, a frequent and outspoken critic of Trump, backed losing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
He has continued his attacks on Trump in the 13 months since the election, saying that the president does not understand that many children look to their leader for guidance and encouragement.
“No matter your race, this is a beautiful country and we’re never going to let one person dictate how beautiful and how powerful we are,” he said.
Pistons 114, Magic 110
Reggie Bullock scored a career-high 20 points, and Detroit held off a late surge by undermanned Orlando.
Bullock, who was inserted into the starting lineup four games ago, made 8-of-10 field-goal attempts. His previous scoring high was 17 points last season, also against the Magic.
Tobias Harris, Reggie Jackson and Anthony Tolliver scored 17 points apiece for the Pistons, who have won three straight following a seven-game losing streak. Mario Hezonja scored 28 points to lead Orlando, which got 24 points and 14 rebounds from Nikola Vucevic.
Raptors 108, Kings 93
DeMar DeRozan led a balanced offense with 21 points as Toronto defeated Sacramento.
The Raptors also defeated the Kings last Sunday in Sacramento.
Kyle Lowry scored 16 points and added seven assists and five rebounds for the Raptors, who have won nine of their past 10 games. Garrett Temple and Bogdan Bodganovic each scored 18 points for the Kings.
Pacers 109, Nets 97
Victor Oladipo scored 26 points as Indiana beat Brooklyn.
Oladipo led the Pacers in scoring for the 21st time this season and produced his 26th game with at least 20 points. After shooting a combined 35.4 percent (17-of-48) in Indiana’s losses to Oklahoma City and Detroit, Oladipo went 9-of-14 on Sunday.
Five Indiana players reached double figures as the Pacers shot 56.6 percent and won for the fifth time in seven games. Allen Crabbe scored 17 points for the Nets.