Love leads Cavs over Pacers
CAVALIERS 109, PACERS 97
CLEVELAND — So much for getting Kevin Love involved in the Cavaliers’ offense.
The three-time All-Star took care of that with a season-high 28 points in Saturday night’s 109-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Love, who came into the game averaging 16.5 points, scored 16 in the first quarter. He made his first five shots, including 2 three-pointers. Love, who also had 10 rebounds, was 9 for 13 from the field.
“I felt good,” Love said. “I wouldn’t say it was a breakout game, but I was efficient, especially in the first quarter. It was a breakout first quarter.”
Kyrie Irving scored 24 points and LeBron James added 19 as Cleveland won its third consecutive game after losing four in a row and moved its record to 8-7. The Cavaliers have won the three games by an average of 23.3 points.
Irving tied a career high with 10 rebounds and had five assists.
Cleveland coach David Blatt was asked before the game about Love’s early-season production. Blatt said he wasn’t concerned about his scoring.
“I just think Kevin is such a good basketball player that when he’s in the flow, as he was today, you’re going to see games like that,” Blatt said.
The Cavaliers built a 19-point lead in the first quarter, but the Pacers chipped away and trailed 52-49 at halftime. Cleveland regained control in the third, as James, who had eight points at the half, scored 11 in the quarter. The lead reached 20 points in the fourth quarter.
David West, who made his season debut Friday, led Indiana with 14 points.
“You can’t really look at the box score when the fourth quarter was really garbage time,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “I thought we had decent energy, but they obviously exceeded it.”
James’ trickery brought the crowd to its feet in the opening period. After taking a pass from Shawn Marion, he motioned the veteran to run the baseline for a pass. Instead, he fired a no-look pass under the basket to Irving, who scored on a layup.
James stole the ball on Indiana’s next possession and drove in for a dunk to put Cleveland ahead 22-6, forcing Vogel to use his second timeout in the first 6:26.
Love finished the half with 22 points, one shy of his season high. He hit a jumper and two free throws while Irving knocked down a three-pointer as Cleveland built the lead to 67-54.
WIZARDS 83, PELICANS 80
WASHINGTON — Marcin Gortat had a season-high 24 points and 13 rebounds, Bradley Beal scored 12 points and the Washington Wizards beat the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Wizards trailed only once — when Anthony Davis, who led New Orleans with 30 points, dunked to give the Pelicans a 78-77 lead with 3:48 remaining.
Paul Pierce hit a layup and a three-pointer, and Washington led 81-77 with 2:13 to play.
Tyreke Evans missed a three-point attempt that would have tied the score with 1.7 seconds to play.
Gortat was 5 for 7 from the field in the third quarter as the Wizards, who never trailed, built a 65-57 lead after three.
MAVERICKS 110, 76ERS 103
PHILADELPHIA — Tyson Chandler had 20 points and 13 rebounds to help the Dallas Mavericks beat Philadelphia 110103, sending the 76ers to a franchise-record 16th consecutive loss to start the season.
Michael Carter-Williams had a triple-double with 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds for the 76ers, who eclipsed the 1972-73 club that began 0-15 on the way to setting an 82-game NBA record for fewest victories at 9-73. Philadelphia became the fifth team in league history to open with at least 16 consecutive losses, joining the 1994-95 Clippers (0-16), 199899 Clippers (0-17), 1988-89 Heat (0-17) and the 2009-10 Nets (0-18).
The 76ers will try again for its first victory on Monday, when they host the defending champion Spurs.
HAWKS 105, HORNETS 75
ATLANTA — Paul Millsap scored 18 points, Mike Scott added 14 and the Atlanta Hawks handed the Charlotte Hornets a ninth consecutive loss.
Dennis Schroder and Kyle Korver each finished with 12 points for Atlanta (9-6), which has won two consecutive and four of five.
The Hornets (4-14) trailed by 20 early in the second quarter, by 32 late in the second and were down by 44 early in the third.
ROCKETS 117, BUCKS 103
MILWAUKEE — James Harden had 19 of his game-high 34 points in the decisive third quarter and the Houston Rockets beat the Milwaukee Bucks.
Rookie Jabari Parker scored 19 points and Ersan Ilyasova added 18 for Milwaukee, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
Harden and Bucks center Larry Sanders jostled near center court with 3:19 left in the game with Houston leading handily. Harden had been called for an offensive foul, and was holding the ball walking down the court when Giannis Antetokounmpo slapped him on the rear and knocked the ball away.
Harden gave a slight shove with his left hand to the 19-year-old Bucks player, and Sanders ran up to Harden, and both players grabbed each other’s arms. Harden, Sanders and Antetokounmpo all were given technical fouls after the referees reviewed the video.
CLIPPERS 112, JAZZ 96
SALT LAKE CITY — Blake Griffin scored 28 points and Chris Paul added 17 points and 10 assists to beat the Utah Jazz and tally their fourth consecutive victory.
Jamal Crawford tallied 22 points and DeAndre Jordan grabbed 12 rebounds as the Clippers (11-5) closed a seven-game trip that covered over 7,200 miles with a 6-1 record.