(The Sports Xchange) ———Monta Ellis scored 20 points and the Dallas Mavericks won their fifth straight, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109- 90 to spoil forward Kevin Love’s best game with his new team.
Love scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were again without forward LeBron James and lost guard Kyrie Irving in the third quarter due to a tight lower back.
The Cavs have lost five of their last seven while the injuries pile up, but general manager David Griffin emphatically insisted before the game that head coach David Blatt’s future is safe and his job security was never in question.
– – –
Heat 88, Nets 84
Dwyane Wade scored 10 of Miami’s last 12 points as the Heat snapped a four-game losing streak, holding off the Brooklyn Nets.
Wade had 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Heat forward Chris Bosh scored a game-high 26 points.
The Heat (15-20) were coming off their worst loss in five year, falling by 36 points at Houston on Saturday night. But, on short rest, they improved to 7-12 at home.
– – –
Pistons 114, Kings 95
Brandon Jennings scored a season-high 35 points and the Detroit Pistons collected their fifth straight victory by defeating the Sacramento Kings.
Center Andre Drummond added 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Pistons (10-23).
DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings (14-20) with 18 points and 15 rebounds but shot 5-for-17 from the field.
– – –
Suns 125, Raptors 109
Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas combined for 56 points and 14 assists, and the Phoenix Suns (20-16) scored a season-high 43 points in the second quarter in a rout of the Toronto Raptors.
Jonas Valanciunas scored 21 points and Kyle Lowry added 19 points and seven assists for the Raptors (24-10), who lost three straight games for the first time this season.
