NBA Recaps: Cavs off to franchise-best start


Nov 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) scores past Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) scores past Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA — Kyrie Irving scored 39 points, Kevin Love had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from an early 14-point deficit to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 112-108 Sunday.

LeBron James also had 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for this third triple-double of the season. Tristan Thompson added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers (13-2), who own the best record in the Eastern Conference and are off to the best 15-game start in franchise history. The Cavaliers beat the Sixers for the eighth straight time.

Joel Embiid led the Sixers (4-13) with 22 points and nine rebounds, and Jahlil Okafor added 14 points and nine rebounds. Ersan Ilyasova and Gerald Henderson scored 13 points each.

Nuggets 120, Suns 114

PHOENIX — Wilson Chandler scored 25 points and Jameer Nelson added 21 to help Denver top Phoenix.

Emmanuel Mudiay had 19 points and Kenneth Faried added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Nuggets.

The backcourt of Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker combined for 65 points — a career-high 35 from Bledsoe and 30 from Booker — for Phoenix. P.J. Tucker added 21 points and Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 15 rebounds, but the Suns played from behind the entire game, and long scoring droughts did them in.

Kings 122, Nets 105

NEW YORK — DeMarcus Cousins scored 18 of his 37 points in the third quarter and Sacramento ended a seven-game road losing streak to Brooklyn.

Cousins started slowly by missing his first three shots and going 0 of 5 in the second quarter when the Kings faced a nine-point deficit. The center helped Sacramento take control by shooting 6 of 9 in the third and his point total equaled the production from the Nets.

Rudy Gay added 22 points, eight assists and eight rebounds for the Kings. Darren Collison contributed 18 points for Sacramento. Sean Kilpatrick led the Nets with 22 points, but Brooklyn was outscored 34-18 in the third quarter and dropped its seventh straight game.

Bucks 104, Magic 96

ORLANDO, Fla. — John Henson scored a season-high 20 points and a grabbed seven rebounds in leading Milwaukee past Orlando.

The Bucks never trailed after the first period. The Magic lost their fourth consecutive game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists for the Bucks. Magic guard Evan Fournier led everyone with 27 points, but he scored only two in final period. Orlando center Nikola Vucevic, who lost his starting role, scored 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as a reserve.

Pacers 91, Clippers 70

INDIANAPOLIS — Glenn Robinson III and Myles Turner each scored 17 points as Indiana defeated Los Angeles.

The Clippers posted their lowest point total during coach Doc Rivers’ four seasons with the franchise. The previous low was 80, and the previous low this season was 83. Indiana won its second in a row, also getting 16 points from Al Jefferson, 12 from Rodney Stuckey and 11 from Thaddeus Young.

The Clippers, who lost their second in a row on their six-game road trip, got 16 points from Blake Griffin, 13 from Chris Paul and 12 from Jamal Crawford. The Clippers shot only 31.4 percent (22 of 70), including 4 of 24 from 3-point range.