Love, Garland help the Cavaliers hold off Knicks

Kevin Love scored 20 points — nine straight in a 3-point barrage in just over a minute — and Darius Garland had 12 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers survived a late rally by New York to beat the Knicks 9593 on Monday night.

Down by 15 in the fourth quarter, the Knicks rallied but came up short as Julius Randle’s 38-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer was way short.

Garland hit a late 3-pointer, rookie Evan Mobley had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Isaac Okoro scored 14 points for the Cavs, who have won seven of eight and played much better after a sloppy win over Oklahoma City on Saturday.

RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Randle 18 for the Knicks. New York had several chances in the final two minutes, but Immanuel Quickly missed an ill-advised 3-pointer (he was 1 of 10 from the field) and Barrett was long on a 3.

Love, who has embraced his role as a reserve this season, scored 14 in the third quarter as the Cavs built a 14-point lead. The five-time All-Star dropped his three 3-pointers in a span of 67 seconds in the third.

After his final make, coming on Garland’s 11th assist, Love wrapped his arms around Cleveland’s young point guard during a timeout as the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse crowd roared.

The Cavs led 86-71 with 9:41 left after Dean Wade dropped a 3-pointer.

But the Knicks fought back as Barrett, Quentin Grimes and Obi Toppin made 3-pointers in an 11-0 burst. New York caught Cleveland when Randle muscled way his to the hoop for a layup to tie it 91-all..

BULLS 111, THUNDER 110 >> Nicola Vucevic had 26 points and 15 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls withstood a fierce rally by Oklahoma City to beat the Thunder. The Bulls led by 28 points in the third quarter, but the Thunder had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds. Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a 3-pointer that would have evened the score with 2.3 seconds to play.

Rookie Ayo Dosunmu scored a season-high 24 points and Zach LaVine added 23 for the Bulls.

PELICANS 117, PACERS 113 >> Devonte Graham scored 25 and Josh Hart had 22 to lead New Orleans over Indiana. Duane Washington Jr. led the Pacers with 21 points and Caris LeVert had 19.