NBA roundup: James, Cavs take down Thunder

James shot 14 of 23 from the field and added eight assists and eight rebounds.
It was his 417th career 30-point game and fifth with at least 35 points this
season.

JR Smith hit six 3-pointers and added 18 points for the Cavaliers, who won
their fourth straight. Cleveland received productive showings from its new
acquisitions who were making their second appearance with the team: Rodney
Hood (14 points), Jordan Clarkson (14 points), Larry Nance Jr. (13 points,
nine rebounds) and George Hill (seven points).

Paul George led the Thunder with 25 points. Carmelo Anthony, back after
missing two games with a sprained right ankle, added 24. Steven Adams
contributed 22 points and 17 rebounds, and Russell Westbrook returned from
missing two games with a sprained left ankle to total 21 points and 12
assists.

Rockets 126, Timberwolves 108

Ryan Anderson buried four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and Houston
continued the barrage from behind the arc in a victory at Minnesota.

Anderson scored 12 of his 21 points in the final frame and was the ignition
for a Rockets offense that hit 10 3-pointers in the fourth en route to a
42-point period. James Harden paced the Rockets with 34 points and 12 assists,
drilling 6 of 10 treys, as did Anderson.

The Timberwolves lost at Target Center for the first time since Dec. 16,
ending their 13-game home winning streak. Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota
with 35 points and 12 rebounds, while Jeff Teague added 25 points and eight
assists.

Raptors 115, Heat 112

DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and Kyle Lowry added 22 points and eight
assists as Toronto defeated visiting Miami for its sixth consecutive victory.

A Wayne Ellington 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds left cut Toronto's lead to
114-112. CJ Miles made one free throw, and Miami's Josh Richardson raced
upcourt, missing a 3-pointer off the back iron that would have sent the game
to overtime.

Goran Dragic led the Heat with 28 points. Dwyane Wade, in his second game back
with Miami, produced 10 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Nuggets 117, Spurs 109

Nikola Jokic amassed 23 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists to record his
fourth triple-double of the season while leading host Denver past slumping San
Antonio.

Barton had 20 points for the Nuggets while Wilson Chandler and Jamal Murray
scored 17 each.

San Antonio, with leading scorer and rebounder LaMarcus Aldridge missing the
game due to a sore knee, lost its third consecutive contest and fifth in the
past six outings. The Spurs got a career-high 26 points and 11 rebounds from
Joffrey Lauvergne plus 17 points from Tony Parker.

Bucks 97, Hawks 92

Khris Middleton scored 13 of his 21 points in the second half as Milwaukee
overcame a slow start to beat visiting Atlanta.

Middleton hit 7 of 15 shots, grabbed seven rebounds and finished with three
steals. Teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo also shook off a cold start, making 4
of 6 shots in the second half and finishing with 15 points, 15 rebounds, three
steals and two blocks.

Dennis Schroder led the Hawks with 18 points, and Kent Bazemore made four
3-pointers to finish with 17 points. Atlanta's Dewayne Dedmon contributed 13
points and 10 rebounds.

Kings 114, Mavericks 109

Zach Randolph scored 11 of his game-high 22 points while Sacramento was
running up a 14-point lead in the first quarter, paving the way to a win at
Dallas.

The victory was the Kings' second in three meetings with the Mavericks this
season.

J.J. Barea had a 19-point, 13-assist double-double for Dallas, which joined
Atlanta and Phoenix as the NBA's first three 40-game losers. Berea's assist
total was a season high.

--Field Level Media