WASHINGTON (AP) Kyrie Irving scored 11 of his 23 points in overtime, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 35 seconds left, and the Cleveland Cavaliers edged the Washington Wizards 140-135 in a playoff-type atmosphere Monday night.
The loud, sellout crowd was standing, and so were the players on both benches, when James somehow missed a gimme layup late in the fourth quarter. Moments later, he banked in a maximum-degree-of-difficulty, step-back 3 with 0.3 seconds left to send the game overtime, where he fouled out and Irving took over for Cleveland.
James finished 32 points and a career-high 17 assists. Kevin Love had 39 points and 12 rebounds for the Eastern Conference leaders, who ended surging Washington’s winning streaks of 17 in a row at home and seven in a row overall.
Bradley Beal had 41 points and eight assists for the Wizards, but he missed a potential tying 3 with about 5 seconds left in overtime.
HEAT 115, TIMBERWOLVES 113
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Goran Dragic scored 33 points and hit a career-high seven 3-pointers to lead Miami to its 11th straight victory.
Hassan Whiteside had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and the Heat shot 53.6 percent (15 for 28) from 3-point range. Miami made 10 more 3s than Minnesota and held on late after a furious comeback attempt by the Wolves.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 35 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have lost four straight games. Andrew Wiggins added 27 points, but missed two shots with chances to win the game in the final 8.5 seconds.
The Heat led by as many as 14 points – the ninth straight game they have led by double digits – and now own the second-longest winning streak in the NBA this season. Golden State won 12 in a row in November.
BULLS 112, KINGS 107
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Dwyane Wade scored 31 points, including the final seven for Chicago in a victory over Sacramento.
After the Bulls squandered a 27-point lead in the second half, Wade hit a tiebreaking 20-footer to put them ahead for good, 109-107, with 13 seconds left. Then he stole the inbounds pass following a timeout and went the length of the court for a dunk to make it a four-point margin.
Wade added a free throw with a second to play following the second technical foul of the night on a furious DeMarcus Cousins, who thought he was fouled on a 3-point attempt. Cousins was ejected after picking up his 16th technical of the season, a total that triggers an automatic one-game suspension.
Just after the third quarter ended, a minor fracas broke out that involved Cousins, teammate Matt Barnes, Bulls assistant head coach Jim Boylen and Chicago forward Taj Gibson. Cousins shoved Boylen’s arm away as tempers flared, and all three players were given technicals.
GRIZZLIES 89, SPURS 74
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph scored 15 points each, Mike Conley added 12 points and nine assists and Memphis held San Antonio to a season low in points.
The game was close until Memphis stretched the margin to double digits just past the midway point of the fourth quarter and maintained the cushion the rest of the way.
The Spurs ended a three-game winning streak and suffered through the absence of leading scorer Kawhi Leonard, a late scratch with a quad contusion.
David Lee led the Spurs with 14 points, converting all six of his shots. LaMarcus Aldridge added 13 points, connecting on only 4 of 19 shots. Danny Green and Manu Ginobili finished with 12 points each for San Antonio, which began an eight-game road trip.
PACERS 93, THUNDER 90
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Paul George had 21 points and eight rebounds, Jeff Teague scored 17 points and Indiana rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to beat Oklahoma City.
Indiana has won seven straight games – its longest winning streak in almost two years.
Russell Westbrook led Oklahoma City with 27 points, a season-high 18 rebounds and nine assists, falling just short of his 26th triple-double this season.
The Thunder struggled mightily in the second half, giving away a 52-41 halftime lead by midway through the third quarter. The Pacers then went on a 12-4 run to take a 79-72 advantage early in the fourth and never trailed again.
RAPTORS 118, CLIPPERS 109
TORONTO (AP) – DeMar DeRozan had 31 points and Toronto overcame a triple-double from Blake Griffin to beat Los Angeles.
Griffin, who had his fifth career triple-double and first of the season in three quarters, finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. It wasn’t enough to prevent the Clippers from a third straight defeat against the Raptors and their seventh in eight games in Toronto.
DeRozan, who had missed seven of Toronto’s last eight games with a sprained ankle, was 11 of 22 from the floor, while Kyle Lowry scored 24 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 21 points and 12 rebounds for his 20th double-double of the season. The Raptors were 3-4 in DeRozan’s absence and won for just the fourth time in their last 12 games.
JAZZ 120, HAWKS 95
ATLANTA (AP) – Gordon Hayward scored 30 points and Utah broke open a close game with 10 straight points in the third quarter to beat Atlanta.
Hayward scored a season-high 33 points in Utah’s 105-98 win over Charlotte on Saturday and had 15 points as the Jazz built a 27-14 lead in the first quarter in this one.
Utah led 40-23 in the second quarter before Atlanta had a strong finish to the half and cut the deficit to 54-50.
The Jazz led by only three points early in the second half before a basket by George Hill, who had 22 points, started the decisive 10-0 run. Hill had two three-point plays to close the run.
Dennis Schroder led Atlanta with 21 points.
LAKERS 121, KNICKS 107
NEW YORK (AP) – Lou Williams scored 22 points, Nick Young had 17 and Los Angeles handed New York an embarrassing defeat to stop a 12-game losing streak on the road.
Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram added 14 points apiece for the struggling Lakers, who won for only the third time in 13 games overall. They had dropped 17 of their previous 18 away from home, with the only road victory during that stretch coming on Dec. 16 in Philadelphia.
It was Los Angeles’ first victory over New York at Madison Square Garden in six years.
Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 26 points. Kristaps Porzingis and Brandon Jennings each had 16.
PELICANS 111, SUNS 106
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Anthony Davis capped his 34-point night with a key rebound and six made free throws in the final half-minute, Jrue Holiday scored five of his 30 points in the last minute and a half and New Orleans ended a four-game slide with a victory over Phoenix.
E’Twaun Moore scored 12 points for the Pelicans, who led by as many as 10 in the first half but found themselves behind for much of the fourth quarter until Davis and Holiday took over late.
T.J. Warren scored 20 points for the Suns, while Devin Booker, Eric Bledsoe and Leandro Barbosa each added 14 points. Tyson Chandler had 12 rebounds and 11 points for Phoenix, which dropped its second straight.
NUGGETS 110, MAVERICKS 87
DENVER (AP) – Will Barton scored 31 points, connecting on five 3-pointers, and Denver overcame the absence of three starters to beat Dallas.
Gary Harris added 20 points and Wilson Chandler had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who were without forward Danilo Gallinari because of a left groin strain and guard Emmanuel Mudiay due to a recurrence of a lower back injury. Also missing the game was forward Kenneth Faried, who was excused to tend to personal matters.
Dallas, which was also short-handed, was led by Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell. They had 15 points apiece, but the loss ended a four-game winning streak for the Mavericks.
PISTONS 113, 76ERS 96
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) – Andre Drummond had 16 points and 17 rebounds, and Detroit pulled away at the start of the third quarter for an easy victory over Philadelphia.
Detroit led 55-46 at halftime, then made its first six shots of the third quarter. The Pistons went on to outscore Philadelphia 34-21 in the period and were never seriously challenged after that.
Detroit had seven players in double figures. Marcus Morris led the way with 19 points, and Reggie Jackson scored 14. Jon Leuer, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aron Baynes had 12 each.
Jahlil Okafor scored 16 points for the 76ers, who have lost four straight.
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