James, Nance power Cavs past Pistons
LOS ANGELES: Cleveland superstar LeBron James poured in 31 points and Larry Nance Jr added 22 in his first start for the Cavaliers on Monday in a 112-90 triumph over the Detroit Pistons.
Nance, who arrived in Cleveland in a Feb 8 trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, started at center in place of Tristan Thompson, who sprained an ankle against Denver on Saturday.
He and James combined to score Cleveland’s first 20 points, and their combined 34 points in the first half helped stake the Cavs to a 54-49 halftime lead.
Nance pulled down 15 rebounds and helped limit Pistons center Andre Drummond to 15 points.
The Heat closed out a 4-1 homestand on Monday with a 125-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Center Hassan Whiteside scored 24 points with 14 rebounds in three quarters and point guard Goran Dragic added 17 points for a Heat team that saw seven players score in double figures.
The Bucks dropped to eighth in the East with a 92-89 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.
Bojan Bogdanovic equalled a career high with 29 points and came up with a crucial jump ball in the waning seconds as the Pacers thwarted the Bucks’ comeback bid.
The Boston Celtics didn’t feel the absence of star point guard Kyrie Irving in a 105-89 victory over the Bulls in Chicago.
With Irving nursing a sore knee, Boston started strong and never looked back — scoring the first seven points en route to a 35-16 lead after one quarter.
In San Antonio, veteran point guard Tony Parker scored 23 points and handed out four assists as the Spurs edged the Memphis Grizzlies 100-98.
The win was especially important as the Spurs now embark on a tough road swing against the Golden state Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets.