Thunder holds on to beat depleted LA

LeBron moves to 12th on scoring list

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Steven Adams hit a go-ahead tipin with 26.9 seconds left and the Oklahoma City Thunder held on to avoid a potentially embarrassing loss, edging the depleted Los Angeles Clippers 119-117 on Thursday night.

Russell Westbrook added 26 points and 11 assists for the Thunder, who lead the Clippers by 5½ games in the race for the No. 3 seed in the NBA’s Western Conference playoffs.

The Clippers played without usual starters Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and J.J. Redick, as coach Doc Rivers chose to rest them. Blake Griffin served the last game of a four-game suspension.

Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers carried the load offensively, each scoring 32 points and going a combined 12-of-17 from 3-point range.

CAVALIERS 107, NETS 87: In Cleveland, LeBron James scored 24 points to move into 12th place on the NBA’s career scoring list and Cleveland defeated Brooklyn.

James passed Dominique Wilkins with a three-point play in the first quarter. The four-time MVP, who didn’t play in the fourth quarter, has 26,689 career points.

Kevin Love added 19 points for Cleveland (53-22), which leads Toronto by 2½ games for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Thaddeus Young led Brooklyn with 18 points.

BULLS 103, ROCKETS 100: In Houston, Nikola Mirotic scored 28 points and Jimmy Butler added 21 to lead Chicago past Houston.

Chicago entered the fourth facing a nine-point deficit but was able to overcome thanks to hot shooting from Mirotic.

The Bulls trail Indiana by one game for the final playoff spot in the East.

James Harden had 24 points and eight assists for Houston, which dropped a half-game behind Utah and Dallas, who are tied for the seventh and eighth seeds in the West.

MAGIC 114, PACERS 94: In Indianapolis, Evan Fournier scored 25 points and Nikola Vucevic added 24 to lead Orlando past Indiana.

The Magic have won three straight since snapping a sixgame losing streak.

TRAIL BLAZERS 116, CELTICS 109: In Portland, Ore., Al-Farouq Aminu scored 28 points, C.J. McCollum added 17 and Portland held on to beat Boston.

PELICANS 101, NUGGETS 95: In New Orleans, Luke Babbitt scored 22 points and Tim Frazier had 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, leading injury-riddled New Orleans past Denver.

Toney Douglas added 20 points and a season-high 10 assists for New Orleans.