(Reuters) The defending champion Golden State Warriors tightened the screws defensively in the second half Monday night, rallying from a halftime deficit to a 118-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA’s marquee matchup on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Cleveland.
The Warriors’ 13th consecutive road victory in a rematch of last June’s NBA Finals allowed them to sweep the season series from the Cavaliers for the second time in the last three seasons.
The Warriors had beaten the Cavaliers, 99-92, at home on Christmas Day.
After giving up 64 points over the game’s first 24 minutes, the Warriors held the Cavaliers to 44 in the second half, including 17 in the decisive fourth quarter.
Kevin Durant had 32 points, Stephen Curry 23 and Klay Thompson 17 for the Warriors. They combined for 11 3-pointers as Golden State outscored the Cavaliers 36-21 from beyond the arc.
Bucks 104, Wizards 95
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points with a career-high 20 rebounds and Milwaukee snapped a two-game skid with a 104-95 victory over Washington at Capital One Arena.
Eric Bledsoe scored 23 for the Bucks, who went 8-of-16 from beyond the arc. Khris Middleton added 19 points for Milwaukee.
Thunder 95, Kings 88
Russell Westbrook produced a double-double while Carmelo Anthony scored 15 of his 20 points in a turnaround third quarter to carry Oklahoma City to a 95-88 victory over Sacramento at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Westbrook finished with 19 points and 16 rebounds and was the linchpin of an 13-4 run the Thunder used to close the second period and slice into a 15-point deficit. The Kings led 48-33 with just over three minutes remaining in the first half before Westbrook scored six consecutive points for the Thunder. He later added a driving layup to pull Oklahoma City to within 50-46.
Westbrook lost his composure after he picked up consecutive technical fouls and was ejected by referee Matt Boland with 2:51 remaining in the game. He recorded 10 turnovers along with nine assists in 33 minutes.
Pacers 109, Jazz 94
Victor Oladipo scored 28 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists to lead a balanced offensive effort that sparked Indiana to a 109-94 win over Utah.
Five players scored in double figures for the Pacers and Al Jefferson added a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench. Indiana won for the fifth time in the last six games. The Pacers made it rain from outside, going 14-of-26 from the perimeter.
Grizzlies 123, Lakers 114
Rookie Dillon Brooks led eight players in double figures with 19 points, helping Memphis outlast Los Angeles 123-114 in Memphis.
Tyreke Evans recorded a 15-point, 12-assist double-double for the Grizzlies, who beat the Lakers for the second time in three meetings this season and for the seventh straight time at home.
Playing without standout rookies Lonzo Ball (sprained knee) and Brandon Ingram (sprained ankle), the Lakers saw a season-high four-game winning streak come to an end.
Hawks 102, Spurs 99
Dennis Schroder scored 26 points, including two big buckets in the final 40 seconds, as Atlanta picked up a rare win over San Antonio in a matinee at Philips Arena in Atlanta.
Schroder hit a pull-up jumper and then followed it with a difficult, high-arching left-handed layup to help the Hawks beat the Spurs for only the second time in the last 15 meetings. After Schroder hit a pair of free throws to put the Hawks up three with seven seconds left, Spurs guard Danny Green missed a contested, potential tying 3-pointer as time expired.
Kawhi Leonard sat out for the fifth time in seven games to rest recent shoulder and quad injuries, while the Spurs lost Manu Ginobili to a thigh contusion in the first quarter.
76ers 117, Raptors 111
Joel Embiid scored 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, T.J. McConnell added a career-high 18 points to go along with eight assists and Philadelphia held on for the victory over Toronto at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
It was the seventh career game for Embiid with at least 30 points, and just the second win for the 76ers in the last 20 meetings between the two teams.
J.J. Redick contributed 15 before leaving in the fourth with a reported leg contusion. Ben Simmons added 12 before being ejected in the final minute along with Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who returned after missing the last three games with a bruised tailbone.
Knicks 119, Nets 104
Kristaps Porzingis scored 26 points as New York dominated the fourth quarter en route to a 119-104 win over Brooklyn at Barclays Center.
Michael Beasley added 13 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter for the Knicks, who opened a seven-game road trip by outscoring the Nets 36-23 in the final 12 minutes.
Beasley, whose minutes were reduced the previous two games because of Tim Hardaway Jr’s return from a leg injury, shot 10-of-18 as the Knicks rested Hardaway. He also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Bulls 119, Heat 111
Justin Holiday scored 25 points and Zach LaVine added 18 as Chicago topped red-hot Miami 119-111 at the United Center in Chicago.
Goran Dragic had 22 points and nine assists in a loss that snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Heat, who won at the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
Participating in only his second game of the season, LaVine is the latest player to add life to a Bulls squad that began the season 3-20 but has won 14 of its last 21. Limited to 20 minutes, he made 7 of 12 shots and added five rebounds and five assists.
Hornets 118, Pistons 107
Dwight Howard racked up 21 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks as Charlotte topped Detroit 118-107 in a matinee at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Marvin Williams also scored 21 points while Kemba Walker supplied 20 points and nine assists for the Hornets. Nicolas Batum contributed 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Charlotte shot 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from long distance to Detroit’s 51.7 percent (15-of-29), but the Pistons allowed 68 second-half points while losing for the fifth time in seven games.
