CLEVELAND — LaMarcus Aldridge scored 27 points, Danny Green added 22 and the San Antonio Spurs ended their road trip Sunday by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-94 to snap a four-game losing streak.
The Spurs dropped 6 of 7 and four straight on a trip the team typically uses as a springboard into the playoffs.
LeBron James had 33 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for the Cavs and was unhappy with the officiating.
“We’re at a point now where we protect the shooter more than the driver,” said James, who shot four free throws. “There’s no reason I should be going to the line four times in a game when I drive 100 times to the paint, and I’m getting hit and slapped and grabbed and whatever and what not. We protect the shooter. That’s what it’s turned into. Chicks dig the long ball and that’s what it’s about.”
Cleveland was within two points after three, but the Spurs scored the first 10 of the fourth and made all the necessary plays down the stretch to pull off the impressive win.
HORNETS 114, PISTONS 98: Dwight Howard had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Kemba Walker added 17 points and Charlotte won at home for its season-best fourth straight win.
The Hornets improved to 27-33 while making a push toward the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs. The Pistons have 28 wins, and there are eight teams in the conference with at least 31 victories.
The Hornets’ bench outscored Detroit’s reserves 51-28.
PELICANS 123, BUCKS 121: Jrue Holiday scored 28 of his season-high 36 points after halftime to lead New Orleans to an overtime victory at Milwaukee.
Holiday added nine rebounds and six assists for New Orleans, which held on for its season-high fifth straight win when Jason Terry’s 3-pointer was ruled after the buzzer.
WIZARDS 109, 76ERS 94: Otto Porter scored 24 points, Bradley Beal added 23 and Washington had a dominant second quarter at home.
Kelly Oubre scored 16 of his 19 points in the first half to help fourth-place Washington move a half-game ahead of Indiana in the Eastern Conference standings.
NOTES
TIMBERWOLVES: Guard Jimmy Butler underwent meniscus surgery on his right knee.
Butler will be sidelined indefinitely. The team said that further updates on his progress will be issued as he begins rehabilitation.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.