CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 25 points, Jaylon Tyson had 20 and the Cleveland Cavaliers used a big third quarter to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 129-99 and spoil LeBron James’ return to Northeast Ohio.
De’Andre Hunter added 19 points, and Jarrett Allen had 17 points and nine rebounds to help Cleveland to its season-best fifth straight victory.
James had only 11 points, the first time in 13 trips to Cleveland as an opposing player he has not had at least 20. The 41-year old Akron native was 3 of 10 from the field, including 0 of 3 on 3-pointers, and was 5 of 6 from the line in 27 minutes.
It also was James’ worst loss in Cleveland as a visiting player. He is 10-3, but has been on the losing end in his last two.
James teared up during a timeout with 7:46 remaining in the first quarter when the Cavaliers showed video highlights of him scoring 25 straight points during Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals against the Detroit Pistons.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 29 points. Los Angeles fell to 3-2 on its seven-game road trip.
Doncic missed six minutes in the first quarter after having his left ankle looked at in the locker room. Doncic tweaked his ankle when he landed awkwardly near the Lakers’ bench after attempting a 3-pointer.
Cleveland led 57-55 at halftime, but took control in the third quarter, outscoring Los Angeles by 20 (42-22). It was the 12th time this season that the Cavaliers scored at least 40 points in a period.
PACERS 113, BULLS 110
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Aaron Nesmith made a go-ahead reverse layup with 13.9 seconds left and blocked Coby White’s attempt from close range with 2.9 seconds remaining, and Indiana rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Chicago.
Pascal Siakam scored 20 points, Andrew Nembhard had 18, Jarace Walker added 16, Bennedict Mathurin had 15 and Nesmith finished with 14 for the NBA-worst Pacers, who improved to 3-0 against Chicago this season.
Indiana has won two of three, having beaten defending champion Oklahoma City in an NBA Finals rematch on Friday night. The Thunder have the league’s best record while the Pacers have plummeted to the bottom of the standings following Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the Finals.
Nikola Vucevic scored 25 points and Matas Buzelis had 20 for the Bulls, who lost their second straight to fall one game under .500 (23-24).
Chicago led 101-87 on a layup by Jalen Smith with 7:14 to go. But the Pacers responded with an 18-4 run and Jay Huff’s 3-pointer with 2 minutes left tied it at 105-all.
Vucevic’s 3-pointer with 33.5 seconds left gave the Bulls their last lead at 110-109. Johnny Furphy hit two free throws for the final margin, which was the Pacers’ biggest lead of the game.
HAWKS 117, CELTICS 106
BOSTON (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 21 points, Jalen Johnson had 19 points and 14 rebounds and Atlanta beat Boston to avenge a lopsided home loss.
Onyeka Okongwu added 17 points, Dyson Daniels had 15 and Corey Kispert 13 to help the Hawks win their fourth straight.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 21 points. He shot 9 for 20, missing all five of his 3-point attempts.
The Hawks hit 42.9% of their 3-pointers (18 of 42) and had 29 assists on 45 baskets. Boston was 9 of 34 from beyond the arc.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder was asked before the game if his team would remember a 132-106 loss at home Jan. 17 in the clubs’ last meeting. He replied: “You want to feel it.”
It looked like his team did from the start. They were locked in defensively, opening a 21-point lead late in the opening quarter on Alexander-Walker’s 3-pointer.
They held a 60-38 edge on Kispert’s 3 from the top in the second quarter before Boston closed the first half with an 8-0 spree.
The Celtics made a few brief spurts in the second half but didn’t reduce their deficit below 12 points. Coach Joe Mazzulla removed most of his starters and many fans headed for the exits with the Celtics trailing 115-96 with 4 ½ minutes left.
KNICKS 119, RAPTORS 92
TORONTO (AP) — Mikal Bridges scored 19 of his 30 points in the third quarter, Karl-Anthony Towns had a season-high 22 rebounds and New York extended its winning streak to four, rallying past Toronto.
OG Anunoby had 26 points and a season-high six steals against his former team. Josh Hart scored 22 points and Jalen Brunson added 13 as the Knicks won their 11th straight meeting with Toronto.
Towns had 14 rebounds in the second quarter alone. He finished with eight points on 3-of-11 shooting.
Bridges went 12 of 15 from the field, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
Brandon Ingram scored 27 points, Scottie Barnes had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and RJ Barrett scored 14 as Toronto’s four-game winning streak ended.
New York shot 4 of 19 from 3-point range in the first half, but Bridges helped turn that around by making 3 of 4 in the third. The Knicks finished 14 for 38 from distance.
HORNETS 112, GRIZZLIES 97
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 26 points, Moussa Diabate had 18 points and 20 rebounds and Charlotte topped its victory total from all of last season, beating Memphis.
Charlotte had won four straight to improve to 20-28 after finishing 19-62 last season. Miles Bridges added 20 points, and LaMelo Ball had 16. Diabate was 9 of 10 from the field in the first night of a back-to-back.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 26 points. Cedric Coward had 17. The Grizzlies have lost four in a row to fall to 18-27. Star guard Ja Morant is out at least three weeks because of a left elbow injury.
Miller scored 14 points in the first quarter to help Charlotte take a 36-28 lead. The Hornets led 29-13 with 3:56 left. The Hornets led 62-55 at the half, and had a 9-75 edge after three quarters.
MAGIC 133, HEAT 124
MIAMI (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 31 points and 12 rebounds, Anthony Black scored 26 points and Orlando beat Miami to snap a four-game skid.
Desmond Bane finished with 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting and Jalen Suggs scored 16 for the Magic, who are 3-0 against the Heat this season.
Simone Fontecchio scored 23 points in 19 minutes for the Heat. Norman Powell added 22 points and Bam Adebayo had 21.
Franz Wagner (left ankle sprain) missed his fourth straight game for the Magic while Miami was without Tyler Herro (ribs) and Davion Mitchell (shoulder).
The start of the game was delayed by seven minutes because one of the rims was uneven.
The Magic went on a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter and led 121-104 with 5:47 remaining before the Heat rallied and got within 128-122 on Powell’s three-point play with 1:25 left. Banchero and Suggs made two free throws each in the final minute to secure the win.
Orlando finished with 36 assists and shot 16 of 38 from 3-point range.
TIMBERWOLVES 118, MAVERICKS 105
DALLAS (AP) — Julius Randle scored 31 points, Naz Reid added 23 and Minnesota beat short-handed Dallas.
The Mavericks were without rookie No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, who sat for left ankle injury management on the first night of a back-to-back. Flagg played the previous three games after an ankle sprain sidelined him for two games.
Klay Thompson sat with left knee soreness for Dallas, which is without 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis due to a hand injury. Star guard Kyrie Irving hasn’t played all season after tearing an ACL last March.
Anthony Edwards scored 20 points for the Timberwolves, who have won consecutive games since a five-game losing streak that is their longest of the season.
P.J. Washington Jr. scored all 21 of his points in the second half for the Mavericks. Naji Marshall had 18 points and Brandon Williams 17.
Randle was 12 of 21 from the field and made all seven of his free throws. He has scored at least 21 points in 11 of his past 12 games against his hometown team.
WARRIORS 140, JAZZ 124
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 27 points, Moses Moody had 26 and Golden State beat Utah.
Gui Santos had 16 points off the bench for the Warriors. Golden State made 23 3-pointers and never trailed over the final three quarters. Moody led the way with five 3s.
Brice Sensabaugh scored 22 points off the bench for Utah. Keyonte George had 19 points and seven assists. Ace Bailey also scored 19 points for the Jazz and Lauri Markkanen had 18.
Utah trimmed a 22-point deficit to single digits entering the fourth quarter. The Jazz drew to 108-100 on a pair of free throws from Isaiah Collier with 9:52 left. Curry made back-to-back baskets to restore a double-digit lead.
Golden State used a 20-2 run to go up 136-109 with 3:29 left.
Golden State made it rain from the perimeter early, going 15 of 31 from long distance before halftime. Eight different players made an outside basket for the Warriors in the first half. Buddy Hield and Moody accounted for three apiece before halftime.
