All-Stars duo lead Cavaliers over Suns
James and Irving combine for 47 points as Cleveland spring to life after recent poor run
>> CLEVELAND: LeBron James and Kyrie Irving celebrated being named NBA all stars on Thursday by combining for 47 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 118-103 rout of the Phoenix Suns.
James, who led all players in fan voting, and Irving were named Eastern Conference all-star starters for the game on Feb 19 in New Orleans.
James scored 21 points, matching his season-high with 15 assists and grabbing nine rebounds to fall one shy of a triple-double.
Irving scored 26 points as Cleveland jump-started their offence, winning just their second game in the last five.
It will be Irving’s second start and fourth all-star appearance in six years, while James will become the fifth player in NBA history to appear in at least 13 All-Star games.
Tyson Chandler scored 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for the Suns after missing one game with stomach problems.
Eric Bledsoe tallied 22 points and nine assists, while Devin Booker had 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists for the Suns, who lost for the fourth time in their last five games.
Cleveland led by 21 late in the first half and were never really threatened by a Suns team with the worst record in the Western Conference.
Kevin Love missed the game with a sore back. Love was considered a game-time decision after he missed the second half of Monday’s loss to Golden State.
James Jones started in place of Love and scored 14 points.
The Cavaliers broke out of their shooting funk to make 19 three-pointers. They committed just 12 turnovers while passing for 29 assists.
WIZARDS 113 KNICKS 110
In New York, John Wall had 29 points and 13 assists, scoring Washington’s final four points in the last 32 seconds as the surging Wizards beat New York.
Otto Porter Jr made six threepointers for the second straight night and added 23 points, but the Wizards needed big plays from Wall down the stretch to win their fourth in a row.
He made two free throws to put Washington back on top after New York had rallied to take a 110-109 lead, then rebounded Carmelo Anthony’s miss and left all the Knicks in his dust as he raced down the floor for a dunk with 13.7 seconds to play.
Anthony finished with 34 points but Wall stole the ball from Brandon Jennings to prevent the Knicks from attempting a three-pointer that could have tied it.
HEAT 99 MAVERICKS 95
In Miami, Goran Dragic had 32 points, Tyler Johnson scored 10 of his 23 in the fourth quarter and Miami topped Dallas.
Dragic shot 11 for 15 from the field and 4 of 4 from three-point range. He also got a big offensive rebound in the final minute to extend a possession, and Johnson made a pair of free throws with 29.9 seconds left to give Miami an eight-point lead.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 points for Dallas, which had its season-best three-game winning streak snapped. The Mavericks went 1 for 8 from the field during a late stretch of the fourth quarter and never got the lead again.
SPURS 118 NUGGETS 104
In San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points, rookie Dejounte Murray added a season-high 24 and shorthanded San Antonio overcame a pregame injury to Pau Gasol.
Denver’s three-game winning streak was snapped despite a careerhigh 35 points from Nikola Jokic.
Leonard had his fifth straight 30-point performance, right after learning he will start for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game for the second consecutive season.
The Spurs were unexpectedly without Gasol, Tony Parker and then coach Gregg Popovich. Gasol and Parker were both late scratches due to injury, and Popovich was ejected for the first time this season.
Gasol broke the ring finger on his left (non-shooting) hand when he jammed it against Kyle Anderson’s shoulder during pregame warm-ups while attempting a running hook. The veteran centre immediately clutched his hand and left the court.
X-rays revealed the break, and the Spurs said there is no timeline for Gasol’s return.
Murray started in place of Parker, who sat out with a sprained foot.