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Trae Young powers Hawks' 135-124 win over Cavs with career-high 22 assists

CLEVELAND (AP) — Trae Young had a career-high 22 assists — the most in the NBA this season — and scored 20 points as the Atlanta Hawks handed Cleveland just its second loss this season, beating the Cavaliers 135-124 on Thursday night.
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Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young drives on Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Trae Young had a career-high 22 assists — the most in the NBA this season — and scored 20 points as the Atlanta Hawks handed Cleveland just its second loss this season, beating the Cavaliers 135-124 on Thursday night.

The Cavs fell to 17-2 and lost for the first time in 11 home games.

De’Andre Hunter added 26 points and Jalen Johnson 22 for the Hawks, who made all the big plays down the stretch to stun the Cavs. Rookie Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, scored 13 of his 17 points in the first three minutes of the second half for Atlanta.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 and Evan Mobley added 22 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which was trying to become the first team to start 18-1 or better.

MAGIC 133, BULLS 119

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Suggs scored a career-high 31 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored a season-high 24 on 6-for-10 shooting from 3-point range to help Orlando beat Chicago.

Ayo Dosunmu led the Bulls with 21 points and Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and 11 rebounds.

The Magic raced out to an early lead and led by 13 after the first quarter and by as many as 27 points on the way to their fourth straight win and 10th in their last 11 games. Orlando’s defense struggled in stretches, but still forced 18 turnovers and recorded eight blocks and 10 steals.

Franz Wagner had 21 points and six assists to help the Magic.

HEAT 98, HORNETS 94

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 27 points, Duncan Robinson added 22 points with six 3-pointers and Miami held on to defeat Charlotte.

Bam Adebayo had 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Heat, who bounced back from a 106-103 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night.

LaMelo Ball had 32 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets, who have lost five of their last six. Brandon Miller had 21 points and rookie Tidjane Salaun scored a career-high 17 points.

The Hornets rallied from 20 points down to take the lead when Salaun drilled a corner 3 with 42 seconds left.

But the lead was short-lived as Herro answered with a 3 and then came up with a steal. Herro was fouled and made 1 of 2 free throws, giving the Hornets a chance to tie or win with six seconds left. Cody Martin got fouled, but missed both free throws. Miami’s Kel’el Ware made both free throws to seal the win.

PACERS 121, TRAIL BLAZERS 114

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Pascal Siakam matched a season high with 29 points, Tyrese Haliburton had 28 and 10 assists and Indiana overcame a sluggish first half to defeat Portland.

Bennedict Mathurin added 24 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana.

The Pacers led by 11 entering the final quarter and fended off a Trail Blazers rally as Haliburton scored 12 points and Siakam nine down the stretch for their third consecutive victory.

The Blazers hit nine 3-pointers in the first half and led by as much as 10 in the second quarter. Mathurin rallied the Pacers with 13 points in the quarter to pull the teams even at 60 at halftime.

Anfernee Simons led Portland with 30 points, including six 3-pointers. Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe each had 17.

Both teams are now 1-2 in NBA Cup play.

CLIPPERS 121, WIZARDS 96

WASHINGTON (AP) — James Harden scored a season-high 43 points in 32 minutes to help Los Angeles romp to a victory over Washington, handing them their 13th consecutive defeat.

Harden hit seven 3-pointers, had 23 points in the first quarter and eclipsed his previous season high of 29 by halftime. The 10-time All-Star posted his highest point total since scoring 44 at Detroit on March 26, 2021, despite exiting the game at the end of the third.

Ivica Zubac added 18 points and 16 rebounds for the Clippers, who have won six of seven.

It was Los Angeles’ second-largest margin of victory this season, after opening a four-game trip with a 26-point win at Philadelphia two games ago.

Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas each scored 17 points for Washington, which lost leading scorer Kyle Kuzma to a left rib injury after he played just eight minutes.

ROCKETS 122, 76ERS 115, OT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Green scored a season-high 41 points, Alperen Sengun added 22 points and 14 rebounds and Houston beat Philadelphia in overtime.

Tyrese Maxey scored 39 points, including 28 in the second half, in the loss for Philadelphia, which played without Paul George and Joel Embiid and fell to 3-14. Maxey, who tied the game with three free throws with just over 11 seconds left, was held scoreless in overtime.

Green rode the hot hand during the first quarter, scoring 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting. However, it was Sengun, the 6-foot-11 center from Turkey, who took over late against an undersized Philadelphia lineup that was collapsing on Green.

Amen Thompson had 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Tari Eason added 14 for Houston (14-6). Guerschon Yabusele had 22 in the losing cause for the Sixers.

MAVERICKS 129, KNICKS 114

DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 23 points and Dallas improved to 4-1 this season without superstar Luka Doncic, beating New York.

Jalen Brunson tied his season high with 37 points for New York in his second game in Dallas against his former team. Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 14 rebounds, but OG Anunoby was limited to eight points on 3-of-15 shooting two nights after getting a career-high 40.

Doncic missed his fourth consecutive game with a sprained right wrist, and the defending Western Conference champions were without two other starters in Klay Thompson (plantar fascia) and Daniel Gafford (illness).

Dallas’ Naji Marshall scored 24 points, Spencer Dinwiddie added 21 and P.J. Washington had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

RAPTORS 119, PELICANS 93

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Ochai Agbaji and Jamison Battle each scored 24 points, and Toronto won on the road for the first time this season over hapless New Orleans.

Djounte Murray returned from a fractured left hand that sidelined him for 17 games and looked rusty early. He finished with 14 points, but missed all seven of his first-half shots and shot 5 of 17 overall as the Pelicans lost their sixth straight game and 15th out of 17.

CJ McCollum scored 19 points in his second game since returning from an adductor strain and missing 13 contests.

RJ Barrett had 22 points and 11 assists for Toronto, which came in 0-10 on the road. Scottie Barnes added 17 points for the Raptors, who hit a season-high 21 3s.

Battle, who was 3 of 10 on 3s for the season, went 6 for 8.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Pelicans.

GRIZZLIES 131, PISTONS 111

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Marcus Smart scored a season-high 25 points to lead Memphis to a victory over Detroit.

Smart was 8 of 12 from the field, including 7 of 11 from outside the arc. Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jake LaRavia finished with 19 points apiece, Pippen adding seven rebounds while hitting 9 of 12 shots as Memphis won its fourth straight. LaRavia missed only one of his nine shots.

Marcus Sasser led the Pistons with 22 points, while Simone Fontecchio had 18. Jaden Ivey finished with 17 points.

Both teams were missing key offensive threats. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham missed his third game with a sacroiliac joint sprain. Meanwhile, Ja Morant, who just returned to the Grizzlies lineup after missing eight games, wasn’t available because of a left knee contusion.

KINGS 115, TIMBERWOLVES 104

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Malik Monk had 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, De’Aaron Fox added 26 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, and Sacramento rode a gritty performance underneath both baskets to a victory against scuffling Minnesota.

Monk and Fox combined to outscore the Timberwolves 17-2 over the final five minutes. Domantas Sabonis had 27 points and 12 rebounds as Sacramento snapped a four-game losing streak.

Led by Sabonis, Sacramento outscored Minnesota 64-36 in the paint. The Kings also had 12 offensive rebounds to four for the Timberwolves.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 29 points but went 9 for 24 from the field. After reaching the 2024 Western Conference finals and starting 6-3 this season, the Wolves have lost four in a row and seven of nine.

LAKERS 119, SPURS 101

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Anthony Davis had 19 points and 14 rebounds, LeBron James finished with 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds Los Angeles beat San Antonio.

Rookie Dalton Knecht had 20 pointson 4-for-10 shooting from long distance as the Lakers snapped a three-game skid.

Victor Wembanyama had 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs had their four-game winning streak ended. Harrison Barnes added 19 points and Julian Champagnie scored 18.

Los Angeles led by as many as 15 points in the first half before San Antonio cut the deficit to eight points. Los Angeles’ Austin Reaves quelled the rally by hitting a 3-pointer over Wembanyama as time expired in the first half, giving the Lakers a 58-47 lead.

San Antonio guard Devin Vassell had 14 points in his return from a five-game absence with a bruised left knee.

NUGGETS 122, JAZZ 103

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead Denver to a victory over Utah.

Jokic scored 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the first quarter alone to rally Denver from an early 12-point deficit.

Jamal Murray added 22 points, eight assists and four steals for the Nuggets. Michael Porter Jr. had 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Christian Braun finished with 18 points and seven boards.

Collin Sexton led the Jazz with 26 points. Keyonte George scored 23, including five 3-pointers. Walker Kessler chipped in with 16 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

Utah played without injured starters Lauri Markkanen and John Collins.

NETS 127, SUNS 117

PHOENIX (AP) — Tyrese Martin scored a career-high 30 points, Dennis Schroder added 29 and injury-depleted Brooklyn beat Phoenix.

The Nets have won four of their last five games. The Suns have lost seven of nine.

Martin shot 10 of 13 from the field, including 8 for 10 from 3-point range, in his best NBA performance by a wide margin. He had scored just 33 points in 21 career games before Wednesday.

Ben Simmons had 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for Brooklyn.

Devin Booker led the Suns with 31 points. Kevin Durant had 30 points against his former team, but also seven turnovers.

The Nets used a 17-3 run to take an 80-66 lead midway through the third quarter. Brooklyn had a 96-84 lead entering the fourth.

THUNDER 105, WARRIORS 101

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, Jalen Williams exited late in the first half with a right eye injury and Oklahoma City held off Curry-less Golden State.

Andrew Wiggins made it a one-point game on a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left. After Gilgeous-Alexander missed a free throw at the other end, Wiggins was blocked by Luguentz Dort on a game-tying layup.

Gilgeous-Alexander followed up his 37-point performance from Monday’s 130-109 victory at Sacramento by shooting 13 for 28 in the third straight win by Oklahoma City (14-4).

Kuminga returned from a two-game absence with an illness to start and scored a team-high 19 points for the Warriors (12-6), who were missing Stephen Curry due to pain in both his knees.

Williams got hurt when Jonathan Kuminga dunked over him with 39 seconds left in the first half. The Thunder star limped to the locker room and didn’t return after being seen with an ice bag on his eye area during intermission.

The Associated Press