CLEVELAND — Kyrie Irving scored a season-high 32 points and the reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers remained undefeated, beating the Houston Rockets 128-120 on Tuesday night.
CLEVELAND — Kyrie Irving scored a season-high 32 points and the reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers remained undefeated, beating the Houston Rockets 128-120 on Tuesday night.
Kevin Love scored 24 points while LeBron James added 19 points and 13 rebounds as Cleveland placed six players in double figures. The Cavaliers are 4-0 for the first time in 16 years.
James Harden scored a season-high 41 points and had 15 assists for Houston.
Ryan Anderson’s 3-pointer cut Cleveland’s lead to 114-112 with 2:18 to play, but 3-pointers by James and J.R. Smith and another 3 by Irving with 34 seconds left pushed the margin to 125-116.
The game’s tip-off was moved up an hour to 6 p.m. because the Indians and Cubs were playing Game 6 of the World Series across the street at Progressive Field.
JAZZ 106, SPURS 91
SAN ANTONIO — George Hill had 22 points and Utah made a season-high 15 3-pointers, handing San Antonio its first loss of the season.
Rodney Hood had 19 points, Trey Lyles 15 and Shelvin Mack 14 for Utah, which finished 15 for 31 from 3-point range.
Kawhi Leonard led San Antonio with 30 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 21.
Hill made four straight baskets starting with about 6 minutes left, scoring 10 points to give the Jazz a 96-88 lead with 4 minutes remaining.
Utah built a 12-point lead in the opening quarter by shooting 72 percent from the field and 88 percent on 3s.
The Jazz made seven 3-pointers in the first quarter, one more than their previous season high for a game.
HEAT 108, KINGS 96
MIAMI — Goran Dragic scored 25 points, Tyler Johnson had seven of his 22 in overtime and Miami beat Sacramento.
Hassan Whiteside got his fourth double-double to start the season, 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat — who have won 15 straight at home over the Kings. Dragic added eight rebounds and eight assists, and Dion Waiters scored 20 points for Miami.
Rudy Gay scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Sacramento. DeMarcus Cousins scored 30 points for the Kings, but fouled out late in regulation and Sacramento was outscored 17-5 in the extra session.
The Heat wasted an 80-71 lead in the final six minutes of regulation.
PISTONS 102, KNICKS 89
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Tobias Harris scored 25 points and Marcus Morris added 22 to lift Detroit over New York.
The Pistons have won three in a row — all by double digits — since dropping their season opener. They closed out this game with an impressive defensive stretch, holding New York to 10 points in the fourth quarter.
Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points for the Knicks, and Derrick Rose added 19.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 19 points for Detroit, and Andre Drummond had nine points and 13 rebounds.
MAGIC 103, 76ERS 101
PHILADELPHIA — Serge Ibaka sank two free throws with 1.4 seconds to snap a tie game and send Orlando over Philadelphia.
The Magic rallied from an 18-point deficit to win for the first time in four games this season.
Sixers center Joel Embiid lost his dribble at the top of the key and Orlando snagged the ball with 5.7 seconds left. Sixers guard T.J. McConnell was whistled for a flagrant foul on Ibaka’s layup attempt. Ibaka made both and the Magic retained possession and kept the Sixers winless.
Embiid had two costly turnovers in the final minute for the Sixers.
Ibaka scored 21 points and Nik Vucevic had 24 points and 14 rebounds.
Hollis Thompson led the Sixers with 22 points. Embiid had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Dario Saric scored 21 points.
BUCKS 117, PELICANS 113
NEW ORLEANS — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Jabari Parker added 21 points, and Milwaukee beat winless New Orleans.
Anthony Davis scored 35 points — the third time he has scored at least that many points — to go with 15 rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals. But once again, it was not enough for New Orleans, which has dropped its first four games, including three at home.
Milwaukee rookie Malcolm Brogdon had his best game yet, scoring 14 points — 10 in the second half. Tony Snell had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, while Rashad Vaughn scored 12 points and Matthew Dellavedova had 11.
Tim Frazier had 20 points and nine assists for New Orleans.
TIMBERWOLVES 116, GRIZZLIES 80
MINNEAPOLIS — Zach LaVine scored 31 points and hit five 3-pointers, and Minnesota built a lead too big to give away in a victory over Memphis, its first of the season.
Gorgui Dieng scored 17 points for the Timberwolves (1-2), who led by 17 points in the opener against Memphis and 18 against Sacramento before losing both games.
Memphis coach David Fizdale decided to rest Mike Conley and Marc Gasol on the front end of a back-to-back that finishes at home on Wednesday night against New Orleans. Tony Allen made his season debut for the Grizzlies after missing the first three games of the season with a right knee injury.
Memphis shot just 36.5 percent and turned the ball over 22 times.
WARRIORS 127, TRAIL BLAZERS 104
PORTLAND, Ore. — Stephen Curry scored 28 points, 23 in the third quarter, and Golden State extended its early season winning streak to three games.
Ian Clark came off the bench with a career-high 22 points for the Warriors, who have rebounded after a season-opening loss to San Antonio. Kevin Durant added 20 points and Golden State rested its starters down the stretch after leading by as many as 35 points.
Damian Lillard had 31 points for the Blazers, who fell in five games to the Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals last season. Playing the first of a back-to-back, Portland coach Terry Stotts also went to his reserves with eight minutes left.
PACERS 115, LAKERS 108
INDIANAPOLIS — Paul George scored 30 points, including Indiana’s final 12 of the game to rally the Pacers over Los Angeles.
The Lakers trailed by as many as 16 points, but rallied and had their final lead at 108-107 before George put it away.
He made consecutive 18-foot jumpers for a 111-108 lead, then followed through on the opposite end of the floor with the biggest defensive rebound of the game. The Lakers’ Jordan Clarkson missed an almost uncontested layup, and it was George who came down with the rebound, sending him to the free throw line to close out the contest.
Monta Ellis had 17 points and CJ Miles scored 16 for the Pacers. Thaddeus Young finished with 14.
Lou Williams scored 19 points for the Lakers and Clarkson had 15.