LeBron's 41 leads Cavaliers past Pacers
CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James made a big 3-pointer in the final minute of the second overtime and scored 41 points to offset 43 by Indiana's Paul George, and the Cleveland Cavaliers opened their April schedule with a 135-130 win Sunday over the Indiana Pacers, who remain on the outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
James added 15 rebounds and 11 assists in 52 minutes for the defending NBA champions, who ended the game with some drama as Tristan Thompson and James angrily exchanged words during a timeout in the second OT.
Kyrie Irving made four free throws in the final 16.5 seconds and Kevin Love had 20 points and 12 rebounds as Cleveland stayed within a half-game of Boston for the top spot in the East. The Cavs visit the Celtics on Wednesday night.
George was magnificent in defeat, scoring 19 straight points for Indiana in the overtime sessions and adding nine rebounds and nine assists. But he couldn't prevent the Pacers from their eighth straight road loss.
C.J. Miles added 27 points for Indiana, which dropped its fourth in a row and didn't make up any ground in the playoff chase.
After going 7-10 in March, the Cavs began the season's final month with a solid win over a quality opponent. But they still had lapses in focus and execution, and Thompson was steaming mad after George hit a 3-pointer to pull the Pacers within 128-127 with 49 seconds left.
Love followed with a 3-pointer a few seconds later, and after Indiana called timeout, Thompson stormed toward the bench pointing and shouting at James, who couldn't calm him down. Thompson then walked away from his huddling teammates and sat on the scorer's table by himself. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue walked over and grabbed his hand and seemed to be trying to get him and James to work out their differences.
HORNETS 113, THUNDER 101
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Desperately needing a victory to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Charlotte Hornets picked up one in a place they'd never won before.
Kemba Walker scored 29 points to help Charlotte overcome Russell Westbrook's sixth straight triple-double to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-101 on Sunday. It was the Hornets' first win in Oklahoma City, a place where they'd been 0-8.
Westbrook finished with 40 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
SPURS 109, JAZZ 103
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs have the league's second-best record and can decide if they want to prepare for the postseason by resting or not resting players.
They did a little of both against Utah.
Kawhi Leonard had 25 points and seven assists, and the Spurs held off the Jazz 109-103 on Sunday in a matchup of postseason-bound teams.
San Antonio (59-17) had six players sit for rest and injury.
LAKERS 108, GRIZZLIES 103
LOS ANGELES (AP) — There were many times when Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell would have let early struggles ruin his entire game.
Maturity can be a slow evolving game, but against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday he was able to shrug off his first-quarter troubles and rebound to score 28 points in a 108-103 victory.
Russell, 21, had four turnovers in the first quarter, but the second-year guard had only one more the rest of the game.