Cavs break slide
DENVER—Cleveland’s LeBron James had 22 points and 11 assists as the Cavaliers overcame a poor shooting night by their new Big Three and held on for a 110-101 win against the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Among other results, Memphis extended its unbeaten start to the season to six games with a tight win at Oklahoma City, Charlotte’s Lance Stephenson sank the long winning basket to give the Hornets a double-overtime victory over Atlanta and Brooklyn beat city rival New York in their first clash of the season.
Cleveland won despite James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving combining for just 19 of 45 from the floor. The Cavaliers had seven players score in double figures to pull out a win following two successive losses to start the road trip.
Cleveland wound up with 25 assists two nights after the team tied a franchise-record worst with just six in a loss at Utah.
Randy Foye scored 28 points for the Nuggets, who have dropped four in a row.
6-of-6
Memphis made it six-of-six by winning 91-89 at Oklahoma City.
The Thunder had a chance to snatch victory on the last play but Serge Ibaka missed a 3-pointer from beyond the top of the key at the buzzer.
Mike Conley scored 20 points, Courtney Lee scored 17 points and Zach Randolph added 16 for the Grizzlies.
Reggie Jackson had 22 points for the Thunder, who again played without injured stars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and other key players.
Charlotte’s Lance Stephenson made a 33-foot jumper off the glass in the second overtime, lifting the Hornets to a 122-119 win over Atlanta.
Stephenson inbounded the ball to Marvin Williams and got it back in a hand-off before connecting from long range.
Al Jefferson scored a season-high 34 points for the Hornets while Stephenson added 17 points and 13 rebounds as the Hornets snapped a six-game home losing to the Hawks.
Nets triumph
Brooklyn’s Deron Williams scored a season-high 29 points to lead the Nets over New York 110-99.
Brook Lopez added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, who had beaten the Knicks just once on their home floor since moving from New Jersey to Brooklyn in 2012.
Williams had only one 30-point game all last season, when he battled ankle injuries, but he looked back in his old form with 10-of-15 shooting and six assists.
Sacramento’s Rudy Gay hit a go-ahead turnaround jumper with 1:07 left in the second overtime and that gave the Kings a 114-112 victory at Phoenix and a fifth-consecutive win.
At 5-1, Sacramento is off to its best six-game start for 15 years.
Toronto cruised to a 103-84 home win over Washington, with Kyle Lowry having 13 points, 10 assists and a season-high 11 rebounds for his first triple-double of the season.
Chicago’s Mike Dunleavy scored 12 of his season-high 27 points in the third quarter and the Bulls held on for the 118-115 win at Philadelphia.
Boston’s Jared Sullinger scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to steer the Celtics to a 101-98 win against Indiana.
Orlando rookie Aaron Gordon had six of his 17 points in overtime and the Magic earned their first home win of the season by defeating Minnesota, 112-103.
Dallas talisman Dirk Nowitzki had 27 points and 10 rebounds to help the Mavericks coast to a 105-82 win against Utah.
Detroit’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 19 points in the Pistons’ 98-95 victory over Milwaukee. AP
