NEW YORK: Jonas Valanciunas scored a season-high 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors held on to defeat the Phoenix Suns 104-100 for their fifth win in a row.
The Raptors led by 17 points early in the fourth quarter but two free throws by Eric Bledsoe gave the Suns a one-point lead with three minutes to play.
The Raptors (12-2) regained the lead on a jumper by DeMar DeRozan and a layup by Kyle Lowry and while the Suns (9-6) tied it twice more they could not find a winning score.
Cavaliers 106, Magic 74
LeBron James scored 29 points, including 16 in the first quarter, as the Cleveland Cavaliers ended a four-game losing streak with a 106-74 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Cavaliers (6-7) centre Anderson Varejao finished with 14 points, and Kevin Love had 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists while James added 11 assists.
Clippers 113, Hornets 92
Blake Griffin bounced back from a rare off night with 22 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, and Chris Paul had 22 points and 15 assists as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the reeling Charlotte Hornets 113-92.
Griffin’s performance, one assist shy of his first triple-double of the season, came a night after he was held to a season-low 12 points and four rebounds in a loss at Memphis. The Clippers (8-5) led 56-53 at halftime but pulled out to a 14-point lead early in the third quarter and maintained control over the Hornets (4-11) for the rest of the game.
Trail Blazers 114, 76ers 104
LaMarcus Aldridge scored a season-high 33 points, 15 in the pivotal third quarter, as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the winless Philadelphia 76ers 114-104 for their eighth straight victory.
Wesley Matthews added 17 points and Damian Lillard scored 16 for the Blazers (11-3).
Rockets 91, Knicks 86
James Harden scored 12 consecutive points down the stretch to lead the short-handed Houston Rockets to a 91-86 win over the New York Knicks.
Houston (11-3) faced a surprisingly game challenge from the Knicks, who lost leading scorer Carmelo Anthony to back spasms at halftime.
Even without Anthony, New York (4-11) surged to a six-point lead in the fourth quarter before Harden carried Houston to victory with a game-high 36 points.
Pacers 111, Mavericks 100
Indiana guard Donald Sloan, a Dallas native, scored a game-high 29 points to lead the Pacers to a gutsy 111-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Pacers entered the game averaging 20 fewer points per game than the high-octane Mavs but it was Indiana’s offense who stole the show with dead-eye three-point shooting.
The Pacers (6-8) won for the fifth time in seven games after starting the season 1-6 as Dallas (10-5) lost consecutive games for the first time this season after winning six in a row.AGENCIES
