Associated Press
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter to help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Oklahoma City 114-104 Wednesday night, giving the Thunder their third straight loss since the All-Star break.
Jarrett Jack scored 21 points, Spencer Hawes had 19 and Tristan Thompson added 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Cleveland shot 14 for 21 from the field in the fourth quarter against the Western Conference-leading Thunder.
Kevin Durant had 28 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, Russell Westbrook had 24 points and nine assists, and Serge Ibaka added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City is 0-3 since Westbrook returned from his latest knee surgery.
BULLS 103, WARRIORS 83
CHICAGO (AP) — Taj Gibson scored 21 points, Carlos Boozer added 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Chicago used a big third-quarter run to win for the seventh time in eight games by pounding Golden State.
Jimmy Butler scored 16 points after missing two games with bruised ribs, Mike Dunleavy Jr. added 15, and Joakim Noah grabbed 17 rebounds for the Bulls.
They also dominated on the glass 56-41, forced 16 turnovers and held All-Star Stephen Curry in check while bringing Golden State’s four-game win streak to an emphatic end.
Jordan Crawford scored 16 points for the Warriors and David Lee came off the bench to get 11 points in 20 minutes after being hospitalized with a stomach flu and missing two games, but Curry tied a season low with five points on 2-of-10 shooting.
MAVERICKS 108, PELICANS 89
DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki shook off an early shoulder issue to finish with 18 points in Dallas’ victory and New Orleans All-Star Anthony Davis was knocked out of the game with a similar problem.
Nowitzki went to the locker room 31 seconds into the game holding his left shoulder but emerged a short time later and returned to the game. He even had a spin move and finished with a left-handed finger roll in the first half.
Davis, the Pelicans’ leading scorer and rebounder, was holding his sprained left shoulder on his way to play defense and didn’t return after leaving the game during a New Orleans timeout with 4:13 left in the first half.
The Mavericks (36-23) are a season-high 13 games over .500 after their fourth straight win, and the Pelicans stayed winless since the All-Star break at 0-5.
Eric Gordon led New Orleans with 19 points, and Brian Roberts had 17.
Monta Ellis led Dallas with 23 points, seven assists and four steals, while Vince Carter scored 17.
TRAIL BLAZERS 124, NETS 80
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Will Barton had a season-high 20 points and career-high 11 rebounds, providing a spark off the bench for short-handed Portland in its rout of Brooklyn.
The Blazers won their fourth straight game despite missing forward LaMarcus Aldridge. The team’s top scorer and rebounder has been out five games with a left groin sprain.
Jason Collins, who became the NBA’s first openly gay player when he signed a 10-day contract with the Nets on Sunday, entered the game without fan reaction and played a pair of scoreless stretches in the fourth quarter.
Mo Williams scored 21 points and Nicolas Batum had 19 to lead seven Portland players in double figures.
Deron Williams had 12 points for the Nets, who had their lowest point total this season.
SPURS 120, PISTONS 110
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Marco Belinelli had 20 points to lead eight San Antonio players in double figures, and the Spurs worked through a lethargic start to beat Detroit.
Kawhi Leonard had 15 points in his return from a 14-game absence due to a broken finger. Manu Ginobili scored 16 points, Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter had 13 apiece, Boris Diaw added 12, Patty Mills 11 and Cory Joseph 10.
Josh Smith scored 24 points for Detroit, which has lost three straight. Will Bynum added 18 points, Rodney Stuckey 17 and Andre Drummond had 16 points and 17 rebounds.
San Antonio got off to a sloppy start despite having two practices during a five-day break following its annual Rodeo Road Trip that lasted nearly a month.
JAZZ 109, SUNS 86
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gordon Hayward had 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead a balanced offense and Utah cruised to victory over slumping Phoenix.
Richard Jefferson scored 17 points, Diante Garrett had a career-high 15 and the Jazz had seven players in double figures.
The Jazz shot 57.5 percent from the field, the highest mark of any Phoenix opponent this season.
Gerald Green had 17 points and rookie Archie Goodwin matched his career-best with 16 for the Suns.
Playing their only road game in a nine-game stretch, the Suns have been looking to improve their playoff position. However, with a third straight loss, Phoenix leads Memphis by just one-half game for the eighth and final Western Conference berth.
GRIZZLIES 108, LAKERS 103
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Courtney Lee scored 18 points, Marc Gasol had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Memphis weathered Los Angeles’ late 3-point shooting display.
Tony Allen added 17 points, James Johnson 14 and Zach Randolph 13 for Memphis.
Jodie Meeks led the Lakers with 19 points, Wesley Johnson added 18 and Pau Gasol had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The Lakers were 7 of 11 on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and Jordan Farmar’s 3 from 29 feet with about 15 seconds left pulled Los Angeles to 106-103. However, Lee’s two free throws closed the scoring.
CELTICS 115, HAWKS 104
BOSTON (AP) — Jerryd Bayless scored a season-high 29 points in a rare start, and Rajon Rondo added 22 points and 11 assists to help Boston break a five-game losing streak with a victory over slumping Atlanta.
Six players scored in double figures for Boston. Rondo’s double-double was his second straight and fifth overall since he returned from a knee injury on Jan. 17.
Jeff Teague had 26 points and DeMarre Carroll scored 24 off the bench for Atlanta, which lost for the 10th time in 11 games.
Back home after an 0-4 West Coast trip, the Celtics had only nine healthy players after a sore toe forced rookie Kelly Olynyk to the bench alongside regular starters Jared Sullinger and Avery Bradley.
The Hawks were missing five injured players, including starters Al Horford and Paul Millsap.
MAGIC 101, 76ERS 90
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jameer Nelson scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and Nik Vucevic had 21 points and 13 rebounds to help Orlando snap a 16-game road losing streak.
Nelson added 12 assists for the Magic, who last won on the road at Chicago on Dec. 16. Victor Oladipo added 17 points, and Maurice Harkless and Tobias Harris scored 13 apiece.
Thaddeus Young had 19 points for the Sixers, who lost their 12th straight overall and 11th in a row at home. Tony Wroten scored 15 points, Eric Maynor 13 and Henry Sims 10 for Philadelphia, which bought out the contract of Danny Granger earlier Wednesday.
The 76ers finished 0-11 in February.