LAKERS, LEBRON END SKID
NOT GIVING UP DESPITE TEAM'S IMMINENT OUSTER
CHICAGO – LeBron James had 36 points and 10 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame a 20-point deficit to beat the Chicago Bulls 123-107 on Tuesday night and end a five-game losing streak.
James played 33 minutes and showed no signs of letting up with the Lakers barely hanging on in the playoff race. He took over after the Lakers’ 14-point lead was cut to four with 8:38 left, making a jumper and then on the next possession going through the lane for a thunderous dunk.
James didn’t stop there, hitting a 3-pointer over 7-footer Robin Lopez and capping it off when Josh Hart passed the ball off the backboard to James, who finished with a reverse dunk to put the Lakers up 115-101 with 5 minutes remaining.
Kyle Kuzma added 21 points after missing two games with an ankle injury. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 24 points off the bench for the Lakers, who outscored the Bulls 43-24 in the third quarter.
Lopez had 20 points and seven rebounds, and Otto Porter Jr. finished with 19 for the Bulls.
In New Orleans, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 points and Milwaukee used a 45-point third quarter to pull away from New Orleans 130-113.
Khris Middleton had 23 points, Malcolm Brogdon added 18, and Eric Bledsoe and former Pelicans forward Nikola Mirotic each scored 14 for the Bucks. Brook Lopez finished with 13.
In Philadelphia, Ben Simmons had 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to lead the host Philadelphia 76ers past the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-99.
Joel Embiid added 17 points and 19 rebounds for his 50th double-double of the season. Collin Sexton paced the Cavaliers with 26 points while Cedi Osman added 18 and Jordan Clarkson had 13.
In Dallas, DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 28 and San Antonio beat Dallas 112-105.
DeRozan and Aldridge had identical 11-for-19 shooting lines from the field and combined to go 17 of 17 from the foul line. The Spurs led from the middle of the first quarter on in winning their sixth in a row. Dallas lost its sixth straight and 11th in 12 games.
In Indianapolis, Bojan Bogdanovic scored 24 points and Darren Collison made two free throws 19.5 seconds left to help Indiana slip past New York 103-98.