NBA ROUNDUP

NBA roundup: Cavs slip past Sixers

The Sports Xchange

March 29, 2015 at 5:29 pm.

CLEVELAND — LeBron James scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Cavaliers survived a scare from the Philadelphia 76ers for an 87-86 victory Sunday, although Cleveland lost two key players to injury.

Cleveland forward Kevin Love, who has battled back problems throughout the season, took an elbow to his lower back in the fourth quarter and had to leave the game soon after. Cavs guard Iman Shumpert jammed his ankle going up for a dunk in the second quarter and left the game immediately. Neither player returned, but neither injury is considered serious.

The Cavs began the day with everyone available, yet they only survived when Philadelphia’s Nerlens Noel missed a contested shot in the lane in the game’s final seconds.

Neither team scored a basket for the final 3:57. The Sixers missed their final five shots and their last four free throws, while the Cavs missed their last six shots. Philadelphia guard Ish Smith missed a pair of open 3-pointers, and forward Robert Covington (team-high 19 points) missed two free throws, all in the final 90 seconds,

Rockets 99, Wizards 91

WASHINGTON — Guard James Harden scored 24 points, and Houston fended off a second-half rally for a win over Washington.

Forward Corey Brewer scored 15 points and forward Josh Smith had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who won their fourth straight. Center Dwight Howard had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Guard John Wall finished with 25 points for the Wizards, coming up short of his third straight game with 30 or more points. The All-Star also had 12 assists and made 11 of 12 free throws. Washington lost for the fifth time in six games.

Pelicans 110, Timberwolves 88

NEW ORLEANS — Forward Anthony Davis scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and center Omer Asik added 15 points to lead New Orleans past injury-riddled Minnesota.

Davis struggled with his outside shot, going 10-for-21 from the floor, but he made eight of 10 free throws. Guard Eric Gordon added 12 points, and forward Quincy Pondexter, guard Norris Cole and center Alexis Ajinca had 10 each for New Orleans.

Minnesota got a team-high 20 points from forward Andrew Wiggins, but the Timberwolves killed their chances with 21 turnovers.

Nets 107, Lakers 99

NEW YORK — Center Brook Lopez collected 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Brooklyn held on for a victory over Los Angeles.

Forward Joe Johnson added 18 points and rookie guard Markel Brown contributed a career-high 17 points for Brooklyn, which equaled a season high with three consecutive wins. Lopez posted his sixth straight game with at least 20 points and reached 30 points for the fourth time in six games, helping Brooklyn win for the seventh time in nine games.

Center Jordan Hill returned to the Los Angeles lineup after sitting out three games and collected 22 points and 16 rebounds. The Lakers lost for the 12th time in 15 games.