CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for their 13th straight victory, 118-117 over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.
Darius Garland added 20 points to help the Cavaliers improve to 53-10. Evan Mobley scored 19 points, De’Andre Hunter had 15, Jarrett Allen 14 and Sam Merrill 12.
Miles Bridges scored 46 points for Charlotte. His shot from halfcourt at the buzzer was off the mark. The Hornets have lost nine straight to fall to 14-48.
Cleveland led 67-54 early in the second half and was up 87-83 after three quarters. Charlotte rallied with a 21-8 run for a 104-95 lead with 5:41 to play.
The Cavaliers responded by outscoring the Hornets 25-15 to end the game. Hunter’s contested follow shot with 43 seconds left gave Cleveland the lead for good at 112-110.
Jusuf Nurkic added 12 points and 15 rebounds for Charlotte.
GRIZZLIES 122, MAVERICKS 111
DALLAS (AP) — Ja Morant scored 31 points, including the game’s final seven, and Desmond Bane had 27 points and a career-high 16 rebounds as Memphis rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Dallas.
Reserves Brandon Williams scored a career-high 31 points and Naji Marshall had career bests with 29 points and 17 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have lost four consecutive games and six of their last seven.
The Grizzlies finished on an 18-4 run to snap a season-long four-game losing streak. They played their second straight game without leading scorer Jaren Jackson, Jr., who’s considered week-to-week after injuring his left ankle Monday.
After Williams’ free throw pulled Dallas within 115-111 with 2:06 left, Morant had a layup with 1:35 left, a jumper with a minute to play and a pullup 3-pointer with 30 seconds left.
RAPTORS 118, JAZZ 109
TORONTO (AP) — Immanuel Quickley scored a season-high 34 points and Toronto overcame a dominant rebounding effort by Walker Kessler to beat Utah.
Quickley added five rebounds, five assists and three steals in the Raptors’ third straight win. Scottie Barnes had 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Kessler led the Jazz with 18 points while setting career highs with 25 rebounds and eight blocks. Keyonte George also scored 18 points for the Jazz.
Utah, last in the Western Conference, suffered its fourth straight loss.
Raptors rookie guard Ja’Kobe Walter had 14 points, five rebounds and two assists before leaving the game in the third quarter after straining his right quad.
Walter joined a long list of Toronto players who were unavailable for the game, including top scorer RJ Barrett (ankle, rest). The Raptors have won three straight games.
THUNDER 107, TRAIL BLAZERS 89
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Aaron Wiggins scored 30 points, Jaylin Williams had his first career triple-double, and Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City beat Portland with MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench.
Gilgeous-Alexander was held out for rest, missing just his second game this season. The Thunder were also without Chet Holmgren (lower right leg contusion) and Isaiah Hartenstein (broken nose).
They still had more than enough to win their sixth straight game. The Blazers got within two points midway through the fourth quarter, but Williams and Wiggins responded with 3-pointers and the Thunder cruised from there.
Williams finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Alex Caruso scored 17 points, and Isaiah Joe and Ousmane Dieng had 16 apiece.
Scoot Henderson scored 22 points and Shaedon Sharpe added 19 for the Blazers.
TIMBERWOLVES 106, HEAT 104
MIAMI (AP) — Mike Conley, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo each scored 15 points each and Minnesota beat Miami for their fourth straight victory.
Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle finished with 13 each. Edwards, who averages 27.5 points per game, attempted a season-low 10 shots and made four. Nickeil Alexander-Walker was Minnesota’s seventh double-figure scorer with 12 points.
Edwards split two free throws with eight seconds left to put Minnesota ahead 106-101. Duncan Robinson’s 3-pointer with three seconds got Miami within two.
Conley’s errant inbounds pass allowed the Heat a chance for a tying shot or go-ahead 3-pointer, but Bam Adebayo’s 3-pointer bounced off the rim.
Adebayo had 29 points and 13 rebounds. Tyler Herro added 22 points and Robinson finished with 15 for the Heat.
The Associated Press
