The Chicago Bulls ( 36 - 21 ) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks ( 31 - 25 ) 87 - 71 on Monday at the United Center in Chicago . In this low scoring game , both teams really struggled to get much going offensively . The Bulls went 36 percent from the field and 31 percent from the three - point line , while the Bucks went just 34 percent from the floor and a meager 22 percent from deep . Despite the poor performance from the field , the Bulls did get off to a solid start though , out - scoring the Bucks 48 - 33 in the first half . The Bulls committed a brutal 19 turnovers , but by getting out to such a big lead , they gave themselves enough wiggle room to still pull out the victory in front of their home crowd . It also did n't hurt that they finished with a 62 - 41 rebounding advantage . Leading the starters in scoring , Pau Gasol continued his strong season , finishing with 15 points ( 5 - 9 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 5 - 8 FT ) and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes . It was his second double - double in a row , a stretch where he 's combined for 37 points and 24 rebounds . He 's now pushed his season averages to 18 points and 12 rebounds per game . The Bulls also saw a strong push from their bench , with both Tony Snell and Nikola Mirotic reaching double figures in points . Snell was very efficient from the floor , going 7 - for - 11 from the field and 4 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 20 points in 31 minutes . Mirotic , on the other hand , notched a double - double of his own , finishing with 16 points ( 4 - 11 FG , 2 - 6 3Pt , 6 - 8 FT ) , 14 rebounds and two blocked shots . It was a career - high in rebounds for Mirotic , as he was a big reason for the Bulls ' advantage on the boards . Joakim Noah was also a force on the boards , grabbing 16 rebounds to go along with eight points ( 3 - 9 FG , 2 - 2 FT ) . Considering they scored only 71 points , it 's not surprising the Bucks had only three players reach double figures in scoring . Khris Middleton led the way , going 8 - for - 19 from the floor to score 17 points , while also adding six rebounds and three steals . He continues to be very consistent , as he 's averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds over his last five games . Ersan Ilyasova was also productive , as he moved into the starting lineup . In 35 minutes , he finished with 15 points ( 6 - 16 FG , 3 - 8 3Pt ) and 11 rebounds . It was a new season - high in rebounds for him , as well as his best scoring output since the end of November . The only other Buck reaching double - digits in points was Giannis Antetokounmpo , who recorded 11 points , despite shooting just 3 - for - 10 from the field . He was coming off an impressive 19 - point showing on Sunday , so it was somewhat of a let - down performance . The Bulls ' next game will be at home against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday , while the Bucks will be at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday .


The Charlotte Hornets ( 23 - 32 ) defeated the Chicago Bulls ( 36 - 22 ) 98 - 86 on Wednesday at the United Center in Chicago . After losing Derrick Rose to a meniscus tear in his right knee that will likely cost him the rest of the season , it did n't get much better for the Bulls , as they suffered a 12 - point loss in front of their home crowd Wednesday . They were down just two points coming out of the third quarter , but the Hornets took off in the fourth , out - scoring the Bulls 31 - 21 to finish the game . Coming into this outing riding a five - game losing streak , it was good to see the Hornets get things turned around and grab a win against a quality Chicago team , as they really had to get things turned around with the playoffs still in their sights . For the Hornets , Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was on fire , going 7 - for - 12 from the field and 4 - for - 6 from the free throw line to score 18 points , while also adding 12 rebounds as well . Despite averaging just 11 points per game on the season , he 's really started to turn it on for the Hornets , averaging 17 points and 7 rebounds over his last three games . Mo Williams played a big factor in the win as well . In 26 minutes , he posted 17 points ( 7 - 15 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and five assists . In the three games he 's played with the Hornets since coming over from the Timberwolves at the trade deadline , he 's averaged an impressive 20 points and 7 assists , as he 's been a great addition on the offensive side of the ball . Al Jefferson had a strong showing , finishing with 16 points ( 7 - 17 FG , 2 - 4 FT ) and seven rebounds . It was the first time over his last four games that he did n't reach double - digit rebounds , but it did n't matter , as the Hornets still pulled off the win . Coming off the bench , Brian Roberts chipped in with an efficient 12 points ( 5 - 8 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt ) as well . Pau Gasol continued with his dominant season for the Bulls , going 11 - for - 20 from the field too score a game - high of 25 points , while also adding 13 rebounds and four blocked shots . It marked his third double - double in a row , a stretch where he 's averaged 19 points and 12 rebounds per game . He 's also had at least one block in each of his last five games . Jimmy Butler did his best to help Gasol out , posting 14 points ( 5 - 11 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt , 4 - 5 FT ) , seven rebounds and five assists . After going off for 30 points in the Bulls ' first game following the All-Star break , he 's slowed down a little bit , scoring below his season average in three straight games . He 's now averaging 20 points and 6 rebounds on the year . Without Rose , Aaron Brooks got the start at point guard . He did n't have the best night shooting the ball , but still finished with 12 points ( 4 - 12 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt , 3 - 8 FT ) , to go along with four assists . Tony Snell , who just posted 20 points on Monday , added 10 points ( 4 - 8 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt ) and three rebounds off the bench . The Hornets ' next game will be on the road against the Boston Celtics on Friday , while the Bulls will be at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday .


The Chicago Bulls ( 37 - 22 ) beat the Minnesota Timberwolves ( 13 - 44 ) 96 - 89 on Friday . With Derrick Rose likely to be out for awhile after undergoing surgery on his meniscus , the Bulls will look to Aaron Brooks to help keep them afloat near the top of the Eastern Conference standings . Brooks played 31 minutes and scored six points on 2 - of - 15 shooting . He had four assists , four rebounds and one steal to help make up for his poor shooting performance . Taj Gibson got the start at power forward in place on Pau Gasol , who was out with an illness . Gibson injured his ankle and was unable to return to the game . Jimmy Butler put on a show , he played 43 minutes and had 28 points , 12 rebounds , 2 blocks and 2 steals . Adreian Payne was placed back into the starting lineup at power forward . He came off the bench Wednesday to allow Kevin Garnett to make his return to the Timberwolves as a starter . Garnett ( rest ) sat out against the Bulls . Payne played 27 minutes and finished with six points and five rebounds . Ricky Rubio dished out 10 assists to go along with 15 points and six rebounds . Despite playing their best basketball of the season in the month of February , the Timbwolves still own the worst record in the Western Conference . Minnesota will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday and the Bulls will welcome the Los Angeles Clippers to town on Sunday .


The Los Angeles Clippers ( 39 - 21 ) defeated the Chicago Bulls ( 37 - 23 ) 96 - 86 on Sunday . Los Angeles have won two straight games and are 6 - 3 since Blake Griffin started sitting out games following surgery to remove an infection in his elbow . DeAndre Jordan continued his torrid work on the glass , pulling down 26 rebounds in 41 minutes . With Griffin out , Jordan has stepped up his game . He 's recorded four games of 20 - plus rebounds over his last nine contests . Chris Paul has also picked up his game to cover the team 's holes . Paul put up a team - high 29 points and 12 assists Sunday and has recorded double - digit assists in eight of his last nine games . Chicago were playing without Derrick Rose ( knee ) and Taj Gibson ( ankle ) on Sunday , and without Rose to initiate the offense , the team struggled , shooting 31 percent from the field . Pau Gasol returned to action , playing through the illness that held him out of Friday 's game , but he had trouble against the Clippers ' defense , shooting 2 - for - 13 from the field in 33 minutes to finish with just four points . He worked the glass for 15 rebounds , but with their shots not falling , the Bulls could n't make up the slack elsewhere . Aaron Brooks started a second straight game in place of Rose , who is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks following knee surgery . Brooks finished with 14 points on 5 - of - 17 shooting from the field . With Gibson unavailable , Nikola Mirotic put up a game - high 29 points in 31 minutes off the bench . The Clippers and Bulls split their season series 1 - 1 , with the Bulls having taken their first matchup 105 - 89 back on Nov. 17 . Los Angeles will wrap up their road trip against the Timberwolves on Monday , and Chicago will stay home to host the Wizards on Tuesday .


The Chicago Bulls ( 38 - 23 ) defeated the Washington Wizards 104 - 96 ( 24 - 27 ) on Tuesday in Chicago . The Bulls , despite dealing with injuries to Derrick Rose ( knee ) , Jimmy Butler ( elbow ) , and Taj Gibson ( ankle ) , were able to pull out a win against a struggling Wizards team . The Bulls were led by rookie Nikola Mirotic , who had a game - high 23 points on 6 - of - 13 shooting and eight rebounds in 32 minutes off the bench . In his last two games , Mirotic has totaled 52 points and 17 rebounds and has proven to be a viable option off the bench in place of Gibson . Chicago 's starting frontcourt of Paul Gasol and Joakim Noah each posted double - doubles . Gasol had 20 points on 8 - of - 11 shooting and 10 rebounds , while Noah recorded 14 points on 4 - of - 5 shooting and 12 rebounds . Aaron Brooks got the start in place of Rose and while he shot an unimpressive 8 - of - 23 from the field , Brooks still finished with 22 points and eight assists in 35 minutes . Tony Snell got the start for Butler but posted just 11 points on 4 - of - 12 shooting in 40 minutes . The Bulls shot 42 percent from the field and had 16 turnovers to just 20 assists . John Wall struggled shooting the ball ( 8 - of - 20 from the field ) but still managed to put up 21 points , 11 assists and four rebounds in 39 minutes . Marcin Gortat recorded 12 points on 6 - of - 9 shooting and 12 rebounds . The effort was his second straight double - double and his sixth straight game with double - digit rebounds . Paul Pierce ( 16 ) , Bradley Beal ( 13 ) , and Otto Poter Jr. ( 11 ) rounded out the Washington players in double figures . As a team , the Wizards shot 42 percent from the field and were active defensively , recording 11 blocks and 10 steals . Up next , the Bulls will stay home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday , while the Wizards head home Friday to take on Miami .


The Chicago Bulls ( 39 - 23 ) overcame a 10 - point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder ( 34 - 28 ) 108 - 105 on Thursday at the United Center . This game attained instant - classic status with some late game heroics from unlikely characters . While Russell Westbrook continued his dominance with 43 points , eight rebounds , and seven assists , it was Chicago 's E'Twaun Moore and Nikola Mirotic who stole the show late . Mirotic had 26 points and eight boards in 34 minutes off the bench . Moore went 9 - for - 10 in the game and put up 13 points in the fourth quarter . With time winding down , Pau Gasol kicked it out to Moore , who canned the go - ahead three pointer . Oklahoma City could n't close out Chicago as it allowed a sizeable fourth - quarter lead slip away . Russell Westbrook 's triple - double streak ended at four games , and it was fitting that it came to an end in Chicago , where Michael Jordan strung together seven consecutive triple - doubles back in 1989 . Still , Westbrook kept his streak of 40 - point games alive with his third straight 40 - point outing . The Thunder will return to action Sunday when they host the Raptors . Chicago has been devastated by injuries lately , but it pulled together a complete effort to score a huge win in front of the home crowd . In addition to Mirotic and Moore 's strong outings , Pau Gasol notched another double - double with 21 points and 12 rebounds . The Bulls have a quick turnaround as they will travel to Indiana on Friday to face the Pacers .


The Memphis Grizzlies ( 45 - 18 ) defeated the Chicago Bulls ( 39 - 26 ) 101 - 91 on Monday at the United Center in Chicago . While they were up just two points at the break , the Grizzlies used a strong second half , where they out - scored the Bulls 60 - 52 , to steal a road win in Chicago . The Grizzlies were the superior shooters in this one , going 50 percent from the field , while the Bulls went just 44 percent . What also made a big difference was turnovers though , as the Grizzlies forced the Bulls into 17 , while committing just 11 of their own . The Grizzlies ' frontcourt was dominant in this matchup , out - scoring the Bulls ' frontcourt 68 - 21 . Marc Gasol led the way , scoring a game - high of 23 points ( 10 - 16 FG , 3 - 3 FT ) , to go along with four rebounds and two blocked shots . After struggling to just eight points against the Pelicans on Saturday , it was good to see one of the league 's best centers get back on track . He 's now averaging 18 points and eight rebounds on the year . Helping out Gasol was Zach Randolph , who nearly posted a double - double with 16 points ( 7 - 12 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 2 - 3 FT ) and nine rebounds in 30 minutes . Like Gasol , he struggled against the Pelicans on Saturday , finishing that game with only seven points , so he was able to get things turned around as well and help Marc Gasol take down his brother Pau . Jeff Green was dialed in with his shot , going 7 - for - 11 from the field and 3 - for - 4 from the three - point line to score 19 points , while adding seven rebounds as well . He 's put in two impressive performances in a row , combining for 39 points and 13 rebounds over his last two . Not only did those three do it on offense , but they also were able to do it defensively and limit the Bulls ' best player in Pau Gasol . Pau Gasol finished with just 13 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 1 - 1 FT ) and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes . While he did record a double - double , he needed to do even more , with the likes of Derrick Rose , Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson all sitting out with injuries . While the Bulls ' frontcourt did n't have much success , their backcourt is what kept them close . Starting at shooting guard , Tony Snell posted a team - high of 21 points ( 7 - 13 FG , 4 - 7 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) , while adding two steals . In just his fifteenth start of the year , he was able to post double - digit points after failing to do so in his previous three games . Over his last three games he had combined for just 12 points , including going scoreless on Sunday against the Spurs , so we 'll see if that helps rebuild his confidence moving forward . Aaron Brooks also got into the action with 15 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) of his own , to go along with four rebounds and four assists . Coming off the bench , Nikola Mirotic double - doubled with 18 points ( 6 - 13 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt , 4 - 5 FT ) and 12 rebounds . He 's on a very strong stretch of six games , where he 's averaging an impressive 21 points per game . The Grizzlies ' next game will be on the road against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday , while the Bulls will travel to Philadelphia to play the Sixers on Wednesday .


The Chicago Bulls ( 41 - 28 ) dominated the Indiana Pacers ( 30 - 37 ) 103 - 86 on Wednesday in Chicago . Nikola Mirotic has thrived in his sixth man role , as Taj Gibson missed his 10th straight game , and Wednesday was no different . Mirotic scored a game - high 25 points on 8 - of - 15 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench . In his last two games , Mirotic has scored 52 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and is due for a minutes increase even when Gibson returns from injury . After four straight games scoring in single digits , Mike Dunleavy put together a solid performance , scoring 21 points on 7 - of - 14 shooting , to along with five rebounds . Pau Gasol recorded yet another double - double , posting 19 points on 7 - of - 13 shooting and 12 rebounds in 33 minutes , while Joakim Noah scored just six points , but was active elsewhere , recording 14 rebounds and seven assists . The win pushes Chicago to just a half game behind the Raptors for third place in the Eastern Conference standings and two and a half games behind the second - place Cavaliers . However , they still only hold a one - game lead over the Wizards for fourth place . Four starters scored in double figures for the Pacers in the losing effort , but as a team , they could not get anything going , shooting poorly at 40 percent from the field . Solomon Hill led the team in scoring , putting up just 13 points on 5 - of - 10 shooting , six rebounds and three rebounds . Roy Hibbert ( 12 ) , George Hill ( 10 ) and C.J . Miles ( 10 ) round out the four Indiana starters in double figures , while Rodney Stuckey put up just 11 points on 4 - of - 11 shooting in 31 minutes off the bench . The loss moves Indiana out of the current playoff race in the East , as the Celtics own the tie breaker over them . However , they still stand just one game behind the seventh - place Heat . Up next , the Bulls will take on the Raptors at home on Friday , while the Pacers will head to Cleveland on Friday to play the Cavaliers .


The Chicago Bulls ( 42 - 28 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 41 - 28 ) 108 - 92 on Friday in Chicago . Nikola Mirotic continues to act as the best player on this Bulls team as of late , as Friday night he scored a game - high 29 points on 11 - of - 21 shooting , grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked four shots in 32 minutes . Injuries have plagued Chicago , and it has been Mirotic 's play that has allowed the Bulls to continue winning regardless . Mike Dunleavy scored 21 points on 8 - of - 13 shooting in 29 minutes and has also stepped up his game as of late , scoring 42 points in his last two outings . Joakim Noah was just two points shy of a triple - double , recording eight points on 4 - of - 7 shooting , 14 assists and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes . Paul Gasol put up 11 points , nine rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes , while Aaron Brooks had 11 points , six rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes . Taj Gibson returned to the rotation Friday after missing the previous 10 games with an ankle injury . He played only 10 minutes and scored six points . Jimmy Butler ( elbow ) is practicing and is set to return soon , while Derrick Rose ( knee ) remains out but is on schedule in his recovery . As a team , the Bulls shot an impressive 53 percent from the field and the win pushes them ahead of Toronto for third place in the Eastern Conference , and they stand 3 games behind the Cavaliers for second . DeMar Derozan lead the way for the Raptors in the losing effort , recording 27 points on 8 - of - 14 shooting , seven rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes . Unfortunately for Toronto , the rest of the team was unable to contribute much more , as Greivis Vasquez served as the only other starter who scored in double figures , putting up 11 points , six assists and four rebounds in 37 minutes . Vasquez got the start after Kyle Lowry was ruled out prior to the game with a back injury . Patrick Patterson scored a solid 17 points on 7 - of - 11 shooting in 25 minutes off the bench , but as a team , the Raptors shot a poor 38 percent from the field . The loss moves them back into fourth place in the East , where they hold just a half - game lead over the Wizards for fifth . Up next , the Bulls will travel to Detroit Saturday to take on the Pistons , while Toronto will play the Knicks at home on Sunday .


The Chicago Bulls ( 43 - 29 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 30 - 39 ) 98 - 86 on Monday at the United Center in Chicago . It marked a tough loss for the Hornets , as the Boston Celtics jumped a half game ahead of them for the eighth and final projected playoff seed in the Eastern Conference standings . With just 13 games left in the regular season , the Hornets are going to need to pick up some winning momentum moving forward , as teams like the Heat , Celtics , Pacers and Nets all sit within three games of each other and will fight for the final two playoff spots in the East . The Bulls , on the other hand , have clinched their spot in the playoffs and still sit as the fourth seed in the standings , with the Toronto Raptors sitting just above them with the tie breaker . With a strong finish to the season , they 'll have the opportunity to pass up the Raptors , but they could be passed up themselves , as the Washington Wizards are trailing the Bulls by just two games . Nikola Mirotic continued to have a huge presence for the Bulls , recording over 20 points for the fourth time over his last five games . In 32 minutes off the bench , he finished with a team - high of 28 points ( 10 - 19 FG , 1 - 6 3Pt , 7 - 10 FT ) , while also adding eight rebounds and a blocked shot . Over his last five games , he 's now boasting averages of 21 points , 8 rebounds and 2 blocks , while shooting 43 percent from the field . Pau Gasol was also a force in this game , posting 27 points ( 11 - 19 FG , 1 - 1 3Pt , 4 - 6 FT ) of his own , to go along with 12 rebounds and four blocked shots . He 's posted two double - doubles in a row , combining for an impressive 54 points and 22 rebounds over those two matchups . On the season , Gasol is now averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds as the clear leader of this team . The biggest news for the Bulls though , was seeing Jimmy Butler return to the starting lineup after missing 12 games with an elbow injury . He did n't seem to have any trouble with his elbow and posted 19 points ( 6 - 20 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 7 - 10 FT ) and nine rebounds , while playing a full 39 minutes . Aaron Brooks added a double - double as well , finishing with 13 points ( 6 - 10 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 1 - 1 FT ) and 10 assists . The Hornets struggled to get things going offensively Monday . Kemba Walker was one of the few exceptions , going off for a game - high of 29 points ( 11 - 24 FG , 2 - 7 3Pt , 5 - 5 FT ) with two assists in 34 minutes . He had shot under 40 percent from the field in nine straight games coming into Monday , so it was good to finally see him have a better night with his shot and come out shooting 46 percent from the floor . Mo Williams came off the bench again in this one and scored 15 points ( 4 - 16 FG , 3 - 9 3Pt , 4 - 5 FT ) , while also posting six rebounds and five assists . He 's had two solid showings in a row , combining for 39 points , 10 rebounds and nine assists over that span . The only other Hornet in double figures was Gerald Henderson , who chipped in with 11 points ( 3 - 12 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 5 - 6 FT ) and nine rebounds , despite having a tough night shooting the ball . Al Jefferson had to leave the game after just 24 minutes with soreness in his right knee , so the Hornets can only hope it does n't continue to keep him out moving forward . The Bulls ' next game will be on the road against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday , while the Hornets will be at home against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday .


The Chicago Bulls ( 45 - 29 ) scored more points before the fourth quarter than the New York Knicks ( 14 - 60 ) tallied the entire game , winning 111 - 80 . The Knicks failed to score 20 points in any of the first three quarters , falling behind 84 - 53 heading into the final period . Potential Rookie of the Year Nikola Mirotic scored a game - high 24 points off the bench , supplemented by six rebounds , two assists , one steal , one block and three three - pointers in 26 minutes . Pau Gasol notched his league - leading 48th double with 19 points and 12 rebounds in a team - high 28 minutes , throwing his name into the Comeback Player of the Year conversation . Jimmy Butler secured five steals to match his total post - All - Star break . The win moved the Bulls one and half games ahead of the four seed Toronto Raptors with eight games remaining . The Knicks broke a record by losing their 60th game , most losses in a single season of the franchise 's 69 - year history . It 's the ninth time in 16 March games the Knicks failed to shoot 40 percent from the field . They 've lost seven games in a row and hold a three - game edge over the Minnesota Timberwolves for worst record in the league . Andrea Bargnani scored a team - high 14 points . Langston Galloway played a team - high 36 minutes and shot 5 - of - 14 from the floor , possessing a team - low negative 28 plus/minus . Ricky Ledo may have played his final game with the Knicks as his 10 - day contract expires Sunday . He joined Bargnani and Galloway as the only Knicks to score at least 10 points , contributing 11 points , three rebounds , two steals , one assist and one three - pointer in 29 minutes . The Bulls have three days off before facing the Milwaukee Bucks . The Knicks face a similar layover , hosting the Brooklyn Nets the first day of April .


The Chicago Bulls ( 46 - 30 ) beat the Detroit Pistons ( 29 - 47 ) 88 - 82 on Friday . Pau Gasol led the Bulls in a solid team effort against Detroit . His team held the Pistons to just nine points in the second quarter but could n't quite hold them off , as they were able to make a run on the Bulls late . Gasol had 26 points , 10 rebounds and one block , and his teammate Joakim Noah put on a passing display from the center position with ten assists . Jimmy Butler put another nice game together , as he is very likely to receive a huge payday this summer . Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich were both ruled out for Friday 's tilt , as they are recovering from knee injuries . The Bull 's production at point guard suffered with E'Twaun Moore and Aaron Brooks combining for just ten points on 4 - of - 16 shooting from the field to go along with three assists in 48 minutes played . Chicago has locked up a playoff spot but still is still looking to improve their seed with just a couple weeks remaining in the season . Andre Drummond has solidified himself as a dominant force in the NBA this season . Even against a stout Chicago defense he was able to record 14 points , 22 rebounds and six blocks before fouling out after 43 minutes of action . Over his past five he 's averaged 19 points , 13 rebounds , 2 blocks and 1 steals a game . His new point guard Reggie Jackson has been a great addition for the Pistons . He put up a nice game on Friday with 22 points and nine assists , but was bit by the turnover bug , as he recorded eight of them . The Bulls only had ten total turnovers as a team . Detroit has not been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and will have to make a strong run the rest of the way if they want to take one of the final spots in the Eastern Conference . The Hornets , Pacers and Celtics all would not make the playoffs if they began tomorrow . Each of them has better records than the Pistons . Detroit will head home for Saturday 's game with the Miami Heat , who currently holds the eighth seed that the Pistons so desperately covet . The Bulls will have a day off to gear up for their big game with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday .


The Chicago Bulls narrowly escaped with 114 - 107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers . Rookie of the Year contender Nerlens Noel missed the game with a sprained right ankle . His availability for the final two games is in doubt . Derrick Rose played his third straight game since returning from knee surgery , compiling 22 points , eight assists , six rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes . Most Improved Player of the Year frontrunner , Jimmy Butler , was held to 15 points on 3 - of - 11 shooting to go with six rebounds , three assists , and two steals in 36 minutes . He leads the NBA with 39 minutes per game and is one of 19 players averaging at least 20 points per game this season . Pau Gasol recorded his league - leading 52nd double - double , notching 24 points , 13 rebounds and three blocks in 31 minutes . The Sixers lost their eighth straight contest . They 've clinched at least a bottom - three record , pulling to within one and a half games of the Minnesota Timberwolves , who square off against the Golden State Warriors later Saturday night . Ish Smith and Isaiah Canaan , the team 's only functional point guards , were unavailable , forcing JaKarr Sampson to run the offense . He finished the game with 18 points , seven rebounds , four assists and one three - pointer in 28 minutes . Six of the nine players who suited up scored at least 10 points , led by Robert Covington 's 22 points and team - high five assists . The sophomore D-league call - up and Sixers ' leading scorer shot 1 - of - 9 on three - pointers . Hollis Thompson and Jason Richardson combined for 34 points and eight three - pointers . The Bulls play their final road game Monday against the Brooklyn Nets . The Sixers commence a two - game homestand Monday against the Milwaukee Bucks .


The Chicago Bulls ( 50 - 32 ) defeated the Atlanta Hawks ( 60 - 22 ) 91 - 85 on Wednesday . Derrick Rose played just ten minutes but the Bulls were able to take the regular season finale , in a game with lots of playoff implications . With the victory , Chicago was able to secure the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs . The Toronto Raptors won earlier in the night , which put the Bulls in jeopardy of dropping to the fourth seed . However , that was not the case as they were able to beat the number one seeded Atlanta Hawks . Aaron Brooks stepped his game up with Rose still getting the rust off from his most recent knee injury . Brooks played 33 minutes and had 23 points , six rebounds , three assists and four steals . The Bulls will take on the sixth seeded Milwaukee Bucks ( 41 - 41 ) when the playoffs begin this weekend . The Hawks wrapped up the first seed long ago and had little to play for as the regular season wound down . Dennis Schroder was a spark plug off the bench . He scored 21 points in 17 minutes of 9 - of - 13 shooting from the field . Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll each played 27 minutes but other than that no Atlanta player saw the floor for more than 23 minutes . They ended the season on a three - game losing streak but were looking to stay healthy and rested for their up - coming playoff appearance as the first seed in the Eastern Conference .


The New York Knicks ( 1 - 1 ) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 0 - 1 ) 95 - 90 on Thursday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland . LeBron James ' homecoming did n't end the way he 'd probably imagined , and it appears James is trying to fit into the Cavaliers ' new offense as merely one of the cogs . He played 43 minutes but finished with just 17 points , which is more than 10 points off his career per - game average of 28 points . Kevin Love met his skeptics face - to - face , putting up a Love-like line of 19 points and 14 rebounds in 38 minutes . The Cavaliers used a nine - man rotation and leaned heavily on the starters in their first regular season game under new coach David Blatt . James , Love , Kyrie Irving , and Dion Waiters all played at least 38 minutes , while the minutes at center were split between starter Anderson Varejao ( 27 ) and backup center Tristan Thompson ( 20 ) . After looking like a lottery - bound team following their drubbing by the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday , the Knicks surprised everyone by pulling out a win over Cavaliers on Thursday . Carmelo Anthony played 34 minutes and finished with 25 points and six assists . Quincy Acy moved into the starting lineup at power forward , pushing Amar'e Stoudemire to a bench role . Acy played 22 minutes and finished with eight points and 10 rebounds . The Knicks leaned heavliy on their bench , with 10 players seeing at least 13 minutes of action Thursday . Starting center Samuel Dalembert played just six minutes and was replaced in the starting lineup in the second half by Jason Smith . The Cavaliers ' next game is on the road Friday against the Chicago Bulls . The Knicks ' next game is at home Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 3 - 3 ) took down the New Orleans Pelicans ( 3 - 3 ) 118 - 111 on Monday night at the Quicken Loans Arena . All of the sudden , the Cavaliers find themselves back at the .500 mark after a slow start to the season . This win for LeBron James and company came over Anthony Davis and the up - and - coming New Orleans Pelicans . The Cavaliers were led by none other than James , who had an impressive triple - double , with 32 points ( 9 - 17 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt , 13 - 17 FT ) , 12 rebounds and 10 assists in 40 minutes . Kyrie Irving had an impressive game as well , putting up 32 points ( 11 - 21 FG , 4 - 7 3Pt , 6 - 7 FT ) , with nine assists and five rebounds in 41 minutes . The Cavaliers will get a few days off before heading to Boston to take on the Celtics on Friday night . The Pelicans received a big boost off of the bench from Ryan Anderson on Monday night , as he scored 32 points ( 11 - 19 FG , 8 - 12 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) , with five rebounds , three assists and one steal in 34 minutes off the bench . We ca n't overlook the strong play of Anthony Davis once again either , as he had 27 points ( 12 - 21 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) , with 14 rebounds , four assists , four steals and three blocks in 40 minutes . The Pelicans are heading back home next , and they 'll be taking on Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 5 - 3 ) defeated the Atlanta Hawks ( 5 - 4 ) 127 - 94 on Saturday . Cleveland has won four straight games , and in their last three games , they 've scored at least 118 points . Their offense is firing on all cylinders , and coach David Blatt is using unconventional lineups to get the work done . He 's regularly used LeBron James as the point guard . While James has always facilitated the offense , he has n't spent a lot of time at point guard , and using a 6 - 8 forward there is creating devastating matchup problems for the Cavaliers ' opponents . James scored 32 points Saturday and has averaged 35 points over the last three games . Cleveland will host the Denver Nuggets on Monday . They 've already played once this season . The Cavs defeated the Nuggets 110 - 101 in their first matchup . Atlanta was on a four - game win streak before they ran into the monolithic Cavaliers . The Hawks gave up 33 points on 19 turnovers , all but handing over the game to the Cavaliers . Cleveland was up 71 - 43 at halftime , and the Hawks were resigned to their fate . John Jenkins started the second half at shooting guard in place of Kyle Korver , who the Hawks decided to rest due to the game being a route . Atlanta 's next game is Tuesday . They 'll host the Los Angeles Lakers .


The Denver Nuggets ( 3 - 7 ) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 5 - 4 ) 106 - 97 on Monday at Quicken Loans arena in Cleveland . The Nuggets were able to use a strong second - half where they out - scored the Cavaliers 53 - 45 to seal their second victory in the last three games . Denver out - shot Cleveland , converting 48 percent of their field goals compared to the Cavs ' 43 percent from the field . This marked the end of the Cavaliers ' four - game winstreak after an ugly start to the season . The Nuggets were led by Ty Lawson who notched a double - double , scoring a game - high 24 points and adding 12 assists . This was his second double - double of the year , and he 's now averaging 17 points and 8 assists on the season . Arron Afflalo chipped in 23 points of his own , shooting 8 - for - 17 from the field and 4 - for - 8 from the three - point line . This was a season - high for Afflalo , who 's found some offensive consistency in the last three games and scored a combined 58 points over those games . Coming off the bench , Darrell Arthur chipped in a double - double of his own , scoring 13 points ( 5 - 6 FG , 3 - 4 3Pt ) and grabbing 11 rebounds . He received 26 minutes with J.J. Hickson out , which was the most minutes Arthur has received this season . LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 22 points ( 8 - 18 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 5 - 7 FT ) and nine rebounds . It was the first time in the last four games that he 's scored under the 30 - point plateau . Kevin Love contributed his fifth double - double of the season , finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds . He 's now averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds on the year . Kyrie Irving came two assists shy of a double - double , as he posted 20 points to go along with eight assists . Coming off the bench , Dion Waiters shot 9 - for - 16 from the field and 2 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 20 points and grab two rebounds . He scored 20 of the 28 total bench points for the Cavaliers . The Nuggets ' next game will be at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday , while the Cavaliers will be also be at home Wednesday and will take on the San Antonio Spurs .


The San Antonio Spurs ( 7 - 4 ) knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 5 - 5 ) 92 - 90 on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena . San Antonio has gotten off to a fairly slow start to the 2014 season , but all eyes were on them for this game against LeBron James , Kyrie Irving , Kevin Love and the Cleveland Cavaliers . The Spurs responded with an impressive road win , and the type of team effort that we 're used to seeing from San Antonio . Tim Duncan led the way with 19 points ( 7 - 17 FG , 5 - 7 FT ) and 10 rebounds , while also adding three assists , two steals and two blocks . Kawhi Leonard had an impressive night of his own , posting a double - double with 12 points ( 4 - 11 FG , 0 - 4 3Pt , 4 - 6 FT ) and 10 rebounds . The biggest surprise for the Spurs on Wednesday had to be Boris Diaw , who played 39 minutes , while scoring 19 points ( 8 - 14 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) , and contributing seven assists , six rebounds , three steals and one block . The Spurs will head to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves on Friday night . With the Spurs up by two in the final seconds , the ball was in James ' hands , but he turned it over late , leaving the Cavaliers with another loss . James did n't have the type of night that we 're used to seeing , as he scored just 15 points ( 6 - 17 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt , 1 - 1 FT ) . He also had nine assists , six rebounds , one steal and one block . Anderson Varejao was the one who led the charge for the Cavs on Wednesday , posting a double - double with 23 points ( 11 - 16 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 1 - 3 FT ) and 11 rebounds . The Cavaliers now get a night off before facing a strong Washington Wizards team on the road on Friday night .


The Raptors ( 11 - 2 ) extended their winning streak to four games Saturday , knocking off the Cavaliers ( 5 - 7 ) 110 - 93 in Cleveland . Toronto was led by a huge performance from Lou Williams , who led all scorers with 36 points ( 9 - 19 FG , 15 - 15 FT ) off the bench . Kyle Lowry added 23 points and eight assists , and DeMar DeRozan chipped in 20 points . Toronto shot only 40 percent as a team but knocked down 38 - of - 42 free throw attempts . The Raptors remain atop the Eastern Conference and are the third - highest - scoring team in the league . Cleveland , which has now dropped four straight games , continues to struggle offensively and looked completely out of sorts yet again Saturday . A 13 - point first quarter lead quickly evaporated in the second period , and the Raptors took a two - point lead by halftime . The Cavs ' offense continued to stagnate in the second half , allowing Toronto to blow the game open in the third quarter . Kevin Love paced the Cavaliers with 23 points and seven rebounds , while LeBron James added 15 points ( 6 - 12 FG ) and 10 assists to go with a game - high five turnovers . Kyrie Irving finished with 21 points , and Anderson Varejao had a 13 - point , 12 - rebound double - double . Cleveland committed 18 turnovers and shot 3 - of - 16 as a team from beyond the arc . Up next , the Cavaliers remain home to host the Magic on Monday . The Raptors return to Toronto to take on the streaking Suns , also on Monday .


The Cavaliers ( 6 - 7 ) snapped a four - game losing skid Monday , thoroughly handling the Magic ( 6 - 10 ) 106 - 74 behind 29 points and 11 assists from LeBron James . James , who was critical of his own play leading up to Monday 's contest , scored 16 points in the first quarter as Cleveland was able to force turnovers and get out in transition . Cleveland had 25 points off of turnovers on the night and out - rebounded Orlando 44 - 40 . James did not play in the fourth quarter , while Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were removed within the first four minutes of the final period . Love finished with 12 points ( 5 - 11 FG ) and eight rebounds in 32 minutes . Irving also had 12 points to go with four assists and four steals . Anderson Varejao added 14 points and six boards . The Cavaliers recorded 30 assists on 42 field goals . Orlando , which trailed by 10 after the first quarter , received solid production from Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo , but the young tandem did n't receive much help . Vucevic finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds , while Oladipo had a team - high 22 points and nine rebounds , but he committed five turnovers . The rest of the Magic 's starters combined for only 13 points on 4 - of - 20 shooting . Orlando shot just 36 percent from the floor had just 14 assists on 29 field goals . Up next , the Magic host the West-leading Warriors on Wednesday . Cleveland awaits a rematch with the Wizards , also on Wednesday , after Washington knocked off the Cavs 91 - 78 on Friday night .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 7 - 7 ) defeated the Washington Wizards ( 9 - 5 ) 113 - 87 on Wednesday at Quciken Loans Arena in Cleveland . LeBron James took over the Cavs ' home arena on Wednesday night , with a near triple - double performance . James had 29 points ( 7 - 14 FG , 1 - 5 3PT , 14 - 17 FT ) , 10 rebounds and eight assists . Kevin Love contributed an additional 21 points ( 7 - 10 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt , 6 - 7 FT ) and five rebounds . While the two off - season additions ( James and Love ) were able to help lead the charge , Cavs mainstays Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters were still able to be huge contributors . Irving had 18 points ( 7 - 15 FG , 3 - 5 3Pt , 1 - 4 FT ) and five assists , while Dion Waiters had 15 points ( 6 - 17 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and six assists . The Washington Wizards were lead by the strong , veteran presence of Paul Pierce who had 15 points ( 4 - 5 FG , 7 - 10 FT ) . Washington 's other big - time contributor was veteran journeyman Rasual Butler who had a team - high 23 points ( 9 - 15 FG , 3 - 5 3Pt ) . Washington will continue their road stretch when they travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans for a Saturday night affair , while Cleveland will be staying home to take on the struggling Indiana Pacers .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 8 - 7 ) defeated the Indiana Pacers ( 7 - 10 ) 109 - 97 on Saturday . Cleveland is on a three - game win streak . Kevin Love has struggled to find his place the Cavaliers ' offense so far this season , but he was the key cog for them Saturday as he put up 28 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes . Anderson Varejao sat out the game with a rib contusion . Tristan Thompson filled in as a spot starter at center and put up a double - double of 13 points and 11 rebounds in 39 minutes . The Cavs stay home and will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday . Indiana has won six of their last ten to keep themselves in the playoff conversation while weathering the injuries they 've had early in the season . Roy Hibbert ( ankle ) missed his fourth straight game . David West , in just his second game of the season , put up 14 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes . George Hill ( knee ) is expected to miss at least another two weeks . The Pacers will continue their road trip in Phoenix against the Suns on Tuesday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 9 - 7 ) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks ( 10 - 9 ) 111 - 108 on Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland . The Cavaliers were able to pull out the three - point victory at home , after going into the fourth quarter all tied up with the Bucks . Despite turning the ball over 19 times , Cleveland was able to shoot 53 percent from the field compared to Milwaukee , who shot 49 percent , giving them just enough of an advantage to come away with the victory . The Cavs big three came out in full force on Tuesday , combining to score 81 of the teams 111 points . Kyrie Irving shot 10 - for - 15 from the field and 8 - for - 10 from the free throw line to score 28 points , while also handing out six assists . He was very efficient in this one , as the Bucks just could n't find an answer . Kevin Love finished with 27 points ( 10 - 16 FG , 4 - 8 3Pt , 3 - 5 FT ) and 10 rebounds , just one game after recording 28 points and 10 rebounds against the Pacers . Love has notched two double - doubles in as many games and has eight on the season . LeBron James did n't have his best shooting performance from the field , but he was still able to get to the free throw line 21 times , while converting on 14 of those attempts . He scored 26 points and had 10 assists in 41 minutes . The Bucks were kept close by the duo off Brandon Knight and Jabari Parker . Knight shot 10 - for - 18 from the field and 5 - for - 9 from the three - point line , giving him 27 points and eight assists on the night . After struggling in the Bucks ' last few matchups , it was a nice bounce back game for Knight . Parker was also very efficient from the floor , and went 11 - for - 15 from the field to finish with 22 points and eight rebounds . He 's now scored a combined 42 points in his last two games and is averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds on the year . Giannis Antetokounmpo and O.J . Mayo were the only other Bucks to reach double figures in points , as they both contributed 14 of their own . The Cavaliers ' next game will be on the road against the New York Knicks on Thursday , while the Bucks will be at home against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 13 - 7 ) defeated the Toronto Raptors ( 16 - 6 ) 105 - 101 on Tuesday . Cleveland has won eight straight games , keeping their spot with the fourth - best record in the Eastern Conference , trailing only the Raptors , Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards . The Cavs and Raptors have played three games against each other already this season , with the Raptors taking their first matchup and the Cavaliers taking the last two . LeBron James took on the scoring load Tuesday , finishing with 35 points , while Kyrie Irving facilitated and finished with a double - double of 13 points and 10 assists . Mike Miller has missed the last three games with a concussion . Tuesday was the earliest he could have returned , but he was n't ready . Toronto has dropped two of their last three games , both losses coming against the Cavaliers . DeMar DeRozan 's absence with an adductor injury is having a noticeable impact on the Raptors . They used Greivis Vasquez as the fill - in starter at shooting guard for the first five games DeRozan was out , but they opted to move Vasquez back to the bench and insert Landry Fields into the starting lineup Tuesday to try and put a bigger player on the wing to guard James . The Raptors took the game down to the wire , with Jonas Valanciunas ( 18 points , 15 rebounds ) and Kyle Lowry ( 16 points , 14 assists ) both putting up double - doubles , but their quality performances were n't enough to put the Raptors over the top .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 14 - 9 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 6 - 18 ) 97 - 88 on Monday . Cleveland ended their two - game losing streak with the win . LeBron James led the way for the Cavs with a double - double of a game - high 27 points and 13 assists . Kevin Love chipped in a double - double of his own , putting up 22 points and 18 rebounds . Mike Miller sat out a sixth straight game with concussion symptoms . Dion Waiters ( abdomen ) and Matthew Delladova ( illness ) were able to play after dealing with ailments over the weekend . Charlotte got off to a horrible start in the first quarter , beginning the game on an 0 - 21 stretch in which the Hornets allowed 21 points to the Cavaliers , while scoring none of their own . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist reclaimed his spot as the starting small forward , pushing Gerald Henderson back to a bench role and Lance Stephenson back to shooting guard . Kemba Walker led the fight back for the Hornets , finishing with a team - high 24 points , but it was the play of Charlotte 's bench that allowed them to end the game respectably . The Cavaliers will host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday , while the Hornets will also play Wednesday , hosting the Phoenix Suns .


The Atlanta Hawks ( 18 - 7 ) went on the road and made a statement , beating the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 14 - 10 ) 127 - 98 on Wednesday . Atlanta came into this game as one of the hottest teams in the NBA , and it showed on Wednesday , as they put on a show while dominating LeBron James and the Cavaliers . What made this even more impressive is that the team was without Jeff Teague ( hamstring ) , so Dennis Schroder earned the start . Schroder did a nice job running the offense , and in just 22 minutes , he had 10 points ( 4 - 6 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) , with 10 assists . The most surprising showing though , had to be from Shelvin Mack off the bench , who racked up 23 minutes and scored an impressive 24 points ( 7 - 8 FG , 6 - 6 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , with three assists and two rebounds . Atlanta showed up across the board , with eight players scoring at least nine points in an impressive win . For the Cavaliers , it was just a struggle . James scored well , with 21 points ( 8 - 16 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 5 - 7 FT ) , but had only three rebounds , two assists and two steals . It was a pretty quiet game for the superstar . Dion Waiters had a nice night off the bench , scoring 21 points ( 9 - 18 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) to go with four assists and three rebounds in 27 minutes . Kevin Love was slowed by an illness , but played through it to get a double - double with 13 points and 10 rebounds . No other Cavaliers player topped 10 points .


LeBron James scored 22 points to go with nine assists , and the Cavaliers ( 15 - 10 ) knocked off the Nets ( 10 - 15 ) 95 - 91 on Friday . Cleveland shot just 40 percent from the field but knocked down 24 - of - 29 free throw attempts and forced Brooklyn into 16 turnovers . James ' 22 led the way for Cleveland , and Mike Miller added 21 points , all of which came via three - pointers . Kyrie Irving contributed 16 points and four assists , and Tristan Thompson added nine points off the bench . It was a rough night for Kevin Love , who scored only six points on 1 - of - 10 shooting . Love did add 14 rebounds , however . Brooklyn was led by 26 points and five assists from Joe Johnson , who shot 10 - of - 18 from the field . Kevin Garnett added 10 points , and Mason Plumlee chipped in 14 to go with nine rebounds . Sergey Karasev finished with 12 points after missing Wednesday 's game against Toronto . The Nets got 28 points from their bench , 13 of which came via Jarrett Jack . Up next , the Nets return home to host the Pistons on Sunday . Cleveland welcomes the red - hot Grizzlies to Cleveland , also on Sunday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 15 - 10 ) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies ( 21 - 5 ) 105 - 91 on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland . The Cleveland Cavaliers used their superior shooting and a 28 - 21 fourth quarter advantage in points to get the win . The team shot 61 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three - point line , while the Grizzlies shot only 45 percent from the field and a meager six percent from beyond the arc . Despite turning the ball over more than the Grizzlies and being out - rebounded , the Cavaliers held on and secured their second straight win in front of their home fans . LeBron James led all scorers , as he went 9 - for - 15 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score 25 points , while also chipping in 11 assists . This was his tenth double - double on the year , as he 's now averaging 25 points , 8 assists and 5 rebounds on the season . Dion Waiters also had a solid outing and finished with 21 points , marking the second time in the last three games that he 's finished with that number . He 'll look to stay consistent off the bench in his next few games . Both Kyrie Irving and Anderson Varejao also reached double figures in scoring . Irving went 8 - for - 13 from the field and 1 - for - 1 from the three - point line , while Varejao finished 9 - for - 12 from the field for 18 points . Despite playing 35 minutes , Kevin Love did n't have much of an impact , as he finished with only eight points . This was his second straight game struggling to score , so he 'll look to get things turned around as soon as possible . The Grizzlies were led by Marc Gasol , who went 10 - for - 17 from the field and 3 - for - 4 from the free throw line to score 23 points . He also added 11 rebounds , giving him his second double - double in a row . He 's now averaging 20 points and eight rebounds on the season . Jon Leuer was also a big contributor in the loss . He made his first start of the season and finished with 16 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes on the court . Mike Conley and Vince Carter were the only other two Grizzlies to reach double figures with 11 and 12 points respectively . With the team shooting only 1 - for - 16 from the three - point line , it was tough for them to keep up offensively with the Cavaliers who found their stroke early and often in this one . The Cavaliers ' next game will be at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday , while the Grizzlies will play the Utah Jazz on Monday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 17 - 10 ) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves ( 5 - 22 ) 125 - 104 on Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland . The Cavaliers used a dominant second half , out - scoring the Timberwovles 61 - 48 , to coast to an easy 21 - point victory at home in front of their home fans . Cleveland finished the game shooting 52 percent from the field and an impressive 50 percent from the three - point line , while the Timberwovles shot 44 percent from the field and only 31 percent from beyond the arc . Kyrie Irving led the team , going 12 - for - 19 from the floor and 2 - for - 4 from deep to score a game - high of 29 points . While he was able to have success with his shot , he did turn the ball over a season - high of six times , so it was n't all good for the point guard . LeBron James also had a big impact . He finished with 24 points , ( 8 - 16 FG , 4 - 7 3Pt , 4 - 5 FT ) four rebounds and three blocks . He 's now averaging 25 points , 8 assists and 5 rebounds on the year . Kevin Love was able to record a double - double , as he finished with 20 points ( 5 - 11 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt ) and 10 rebounds . He got most of his offensive production from the free throw line , as he finished 9 - of - 11 from the line . Also , coming off the bench , Dion Waiters finished with 19 points and four assists . The Timberwolves received most of their production from their starters , as the bench was n't much of an impact in this one . Andrew Wiggins had arguably his best offensive outing of the year , going 9 - for - 16 from the field and 3 - for - 3 from the three - point line to score 27 points . He was able to get to the free throw line eight times as well , converting on six of those attempts . Starting center Gorgui Dieng gave Wiggins the most help , as he recorded 20 points ( 6 - 10 FG , 8 - 8 FT ) and 11 rebounds . It was his fifth double - double of the season . Shabazz Muhammad continued to play well , as he finished with 18 points ( 7 - 17 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 4 - 6 FT ) and six rebounds , while Thaddeus Young scored 13 points ( 6 - 18 FG , 1 - 2 FT ) and had six rebounds of his own . The Cavaliers ' next game will on the road against the Miami Heat on Thursday , while the Timberwolves will travel to Denver to play the Nuggets on Friday .


The Pistons ( 7 - 23 ) knocked off the Cavaliers ( 18 - 12 ) 103 - 80 in Cleveland on Sunday . The Cavaliers jumped out to a 28 - 17 lead after the first quarter but went cold from the field and were outscored 33 - 19 in the second period . The Cavs ' struggles continued in the second half , as they were outscored by 13 in the third quarter and managed only 19 points in the fourth . LeBron James scored 17 points to go with 10 rebounds , but he shot just 5 - of - 19 from the field . Kevin Love added 20 points and 10 rebounds , while Tristan Thompson added 18 points and 11 rebounds . Matthew Dellavedova , starting in place of Kyrie Irving , finished with just three points in 26 minutes . The Cavaliers shot 38 percent as a team and converted just 5 - of - 29 three - point attempts . Detroit , meanwhile , shot 45 percent from the floor and knocked down 17 three - pointers . Brandon Jennings led the way with 25 points and six assists , and Andre Drummond added 16 points and 17 rebounds . Greg Monroe shot 4 - of - 18 from the field , finishing with 10 points and six rebounds . Detroit attempted only nine free throws but committed 10 turnovers , compared to Cleveland 's 17 .


The Milwaukee Bucks ( 17 - 16 ) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 18 - 14 ) 96 - 80 on Wednesday . Milwaukee has won two straight games . They were paced by Brandon Knight , who scored a game - high 26 points in 34 minutes . Giannis Antetokounmpo also threw up an impressive all - around line of 14 points , eight rebounds , five assists and three blocks in 30 minutes . The Bucks protected the ball well ( only 10 turnovers ) and held the Cavs down on defense to secure the win . Ersan Ilyasova ( concussion ) and Larry Sanders ( illness ) did not play . They 'll return home to host the Indiana Pacers on Friday . Cleveland has lost three straight games . LeBron James ( knee ) and Shawn Marion ( ankle ) have sat out their last two games , and Kevin Love ( back spasms ) was n't able to play Wednesday . That does n't even account for the fact that Anderson Varejao ( Achilles ) is out for the season . The Cavaliers have essentially been reduced to the team they were last season , relying on suspect defense from most of their players and Kyrie Irving 's heroics on offense to try and get wins . Cleveland shot 34 percent from the field and 26 percent from beyond the arc Wednesday . That 's not going to get them wins . They 'll go on the road to the face the Charlotte Hornets on Friday .


The Mavericks ( 25 - 10 ) handled the LeBron-less Cavaliers ( 19 - 15 ) 109 - 90 on Sunday in Cleveland . The Mavericks scorched the nets to the tune of 56 percent shooting and converted 12 - of - 26 three - point field goals . Monta Ellis led the way with 20 points and two assists , while Dirk Nowitzki added 15 points and five boards . Tyson Chandler and Chandler Parsons each scored 14 points , and Rajon Rondo finished with four points , four rebounds and eight assists . Dallas was out - rebounded 38 - 36 but was able to control Cleveland 's transition game , holding the Cavaliers without a single fast - break point . Playing without LeBron James for the fourth straight game , Cleveland leaned heavily upon Kevin Love , who posted 30 points and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes . Matthew Dellavedova added 10 points , and Shawn Marion had 13 off the bench . No other Cavaliers player scored in double - figures . Kyrie Irving , who finished with six points in 25 minutes , departed the game in the second half due to lower back soreness and did not return . Cleveland shot just 41 percent from the field and converted 8 - of - 25 three - pointers . Up next , Cleveland travels to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers on Monday . Dallas heads east to Brooklyn to take on the Nets , also on Monday .


The Houston Rockets ( 24 - 11 ) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 19 - 17 ) 105 - 93 on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland . After ending the third quarter down 74 - 73 , the Rockets came out and had a strong fourth quarter , out - scoring the Cavaliers by an impresive 32 - 19 mark , allowing them to steal the victory on the road in Cleveland . The Rockets were able to out - rebound the Cavaliers 50 - 37 , only furthering their advantage in this one . Like he 's done so many times already this season , James Harden led the Rockets to this victory . He came close to a triple - double , finishing with 21 points ( 6 - 18 FG , 2 - 7 3Pt , 7 - 7 FT ) , seven rebounds and nine assists . He did turn the ball over seven times though , so he 'll need to cut those down in the near future . As expected , Dwight Howard was able to use his size advantage over Tristan Thompson and the Cavaliers ' bigs . He went off for 17 points ( 6 - 13 FG , 5 - 11 FT ) and 19 rebounds , marking his third double - double in a row . He 's averaged 17 points and 15 rebounds over that stretch of three games . Trevor Ariza was able to do it on both sides of the ball , recording 13 points ( 5 - 13 FG , 3 - 10 3Pt ) , six rebounds and five steals . He 's had a tremendous amount of steals over his last three games , combining for 14 over that period . The Rockets did have solid contributions off their bench as well with Josh Smith scoring 16 points ( 7 - 10 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt , 1 - 4 FT ) and Corey Brewer adding 12 points ( 4 - 8 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) . The Cavaliers got most of their production out of their two superstars , Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love . Irving had the biggest contribution , going 15 - for - 26 from the field and 4 - for - 8 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 38 points . The points were a season - high for him as well , as he 's continued to get off the bulk of the shots with LeBron James still sitting out . Love on the other hand notched another double - double , finishing with 17 points ( 7 - 19 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt , 3 - 6 FT ) and 16 rebounds . It marked his third double - double in a row , where he 's averaged 25 points and 15 rebounds between those games . The only other Cavalier to reach double - digit points was Tristan Thompson , who added 11 points ( 2 - 7 FG , 7 - 7 FT ) and six rebounds of his own . The Cavaliers ' bench combined for only 13 points . The Rockets ' next game will be on the road against the New York Knicks on Thursday , while the Cavaliers will travel to Oakland to play the Golden State Warriors on Friday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 22 - 20 ) beat the Chicago Bulls ( 27 - 16 ) 108 - 94 on Monday . The Cavaliers are now winners of three straight games after dropping their six previous games , including a 95 - 92 loss to the 76ers on Jan 5 . Kevin Love ( back ) started and had 16 points and 12 rebounds in 30 minutes after missing Friday 's victory over the Clippers . LeBron James has been averaging 34 points , 8 rebounds , 6 assists and 2 steals in 39 minutes per game since his return from back and knee strains , with the Cavs going 3 - 1 in that time . J.R. Smith has scored 20 - plus points in three of his six games as a Cavalier . Smith has hit 20 of the 51 three - point shots he 's taken since coming over in a trade from the Knicks . The Bulls are now 1 - 2 in Joakim Noah 's absence . They certainly could 've used him Monday , as they were outrebounded 54 - 40 by the Cavs . Rookie Doug McDermott was available after being out due to knee surgery since mid - December . The Bulls are now 5 - 6 in January after going 11 - 4 in December . They are currently leading the Central Divsion . The Cavaliers will take on the Utah Jazz ( 14 - 27 ) on Wednesday , and the Bulls will face the San Antonio Spurs ( 26 - 16 ) on Thursday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 23 - 20 ) defeated the Utah Jazz ( 14 - 28 ) 106 - 92 on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland . The Cavaliers came out firing in this game , out - scoring the Jazz 31 - 20 in the first quarter alone . That set the tone for the rest of the game , as the Cavaliers went on to secure the 14 - point victory in front of their home crowd , notching their third straight victory in the process . The Cavaliers were the superior shooters in this game , going 52 percent from the field while the Jazz went just 42 percent from the floor . The Jazz turned the ball over 20 times , which also made a big difference Wednesday . The Cavaliers starters all reached double figures in points , as the bench really struggled to give them any help . As a whole , the bench contributed only 12 points , although the Cavaliers were still able to come out with the victory . LeBron James led all scorers in this one , nearing a triple - double with 26 points ( 8 - 16 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 10 - 14 FT ) , seven rebounds and nine assists . In the five games since he returned from his two week absence , he 's averaged 31 points as he 's been nearly unstoppable . Kevin Love also had a big game , recording a double - double with 19 points ( 7 - 15 FG , 1 - 7 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) and 13 rebounds . It was his second double - double in a row , combining for 35 points and 25 rebounds over those two games . Timofey Mozgov continued his strong play , recording his second double - double in a row . He finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds in 40 minutes . Kyrie Irving added 18 points ( 8 - 13 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt , 0 - 1 FT ) , while J.R. Smith had 15 points ( 5 - 16 FG , 2 - 11 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) . The Jazz received most of their production from Enes Kanter , who recorded a monster line of 24 points ( 9 - 20 FG , 6 - 8 FT ) and 17 rebounds . He really struggled to get anything going over his last two outings , so it was a nice bounce back game for him . Gordon Hayward reached double figures as well , finishing with 14 points ( 4 - 11 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) and five rebounds . It was n't his best game of the season , as he was averaging 19 points per game coming into Wednesday . The Jazz did see some solid contribution off their bench though . Elijah Millsap recored 12 points ( 4 - 9 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) , while Elliot Williams had an efficient 10 points ( 3 - 4 FG , 3 - 3 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) . The Cavaliers ' next game will be at home against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday , while the Jazz will travel to Milwaukee to play the Bucks on Thursday .


The Cavaliers ( 24 - 20 ) routed the Hornets ( 18 - 26 ) 129 - 90 on Friday in Cleveland . Cleveland put a whipping on the Hornets in this one - sided affair in which every Cavs starter regustered a plus/minus rating of at least 29 . Cleveland put up one of the most dominant halfs of the season , outscoring the Hornets by 20 points in the first quarter and 15 points in the second quarter . All 13 Cavaliers who suited up played at least seven minutes and scored a field goal . Timofey Mozgov has been a great addition for the Cavs since coming over from Denver . He recorded a double - double in his third - straight game . Mozgov finished with 14 points and went 6 - of - 7 from the free - throw line to go with 10 rebounds . LeBron James led all scorers with 25 points , nine assists and six rebounds , and Kyrie Irving chipped in 18 points . Kevin Love finished with nine points ( 4 - 7 FG ) in 30 minutes . The Cavaliers have now won five straight games , including three - straight at home . The Hornets had no answer for the Cavs , who held a 40 - point lead heading into the fourth quarter . Charlotte was hot coming in , winning eight of their last nine games , but could n't contend with the Cavs ' great all - around performance . Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith outscored the entire Hornets team from the three - pointline . Smith hit 7 - of - 11 threes and Charlotte was just 2 - of - 16 for a 13 percent shooting night from beyond the arc . Al Jefferson was Charlotte 's high scorer with 22 points and 11 rebounds off the bench . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 15 points , and Bismack Biyombo finished with 10 . Kemba Walker struggled mightily , conveting just 3 - of - 14 field goals for eight points . The Hornets will take on the New York Knicks on Saturday . The Cavaliers will play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 25 - 20 ) continued their hot streak Sunday , beating the Oklahoma City Thunder ( 22 - 22 ) 108 - 98 at the Quicken Loans Arena . In a matchup between two of the league 's biggest stars , LeBron James and Kevin Durant both put up huge games . James shouldered a bit more of the offensive load than usual , taking 25 shots from the floor to finish with 34 points . Durant countered with 32 points and nine assists . He landed awkwardly on a drive late in the fourth quarter , but was able to play through it for the rest of the game . Oklahoma City wrapped up its five game road trip Sunday with a 4 - 2 mark . Steven Adams , the team 's usual starter , was dealing with migraines before tip off and did not play . Kendrick Perkins got the start at center and finished with four points and four rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth . The Thunder will return home Monday to host the Timberwolves . Cleveland has now won six in a row , with three of those wins coming against quality opponents . Kevin Love turned in a solid effort , finishing with 19 points and 13 rebounds to mark his 24th double - double this season . The Cavaliers will play the front end of a back - to - back Tuesday in Detroit before returning home to host the Trail Blazers on Wednesday .


Kyrie Irving erupted for the highest - scoring night of his career as the Cavaliers ( 27 - 20 ) held on to defeat the Trail Blazers ( 32 - 14 ) on Wednesady night . With LeBron James ( wrist ) sitting out , this matchup was all about Irving , who was absolutely unstoppable all game long . He went 17 - for - 36 from the field and a ridiculous 11 - for - 19 from the three - point line to score a season - high of 55 points , while also adding four rebounds , five assists and two steals . He was extremely clutch for the Cavaliers , scoring their last five points , therefore giving the home crowd the win that they came for and extending the team 's winning streak to eight games in a row . Irving is on an unbelievable stretch over his last two games , combining for 93 points , 11 assists and five steals . While Irving did most of it on his own , Kevin Love at least gave a little help , finishing with 10 points ( 3 - 15 FG , 2 - 8 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and 12 rebounds . He shot very poorly , but he still was able to record his fourth double - double in his last six games . Timofey Mozgov had a double - double of his own as well , scoring 12 points ( 4 - 9 FG , 4 - 6 FT ) and grabbing 10 rebounds . Doing his best to match the numbers Irving was having Wednesday , LaMarcus Aldridge had a very impressive performance as well . Aldridge went 13 - for - 23 from the field and 2 - for - 3 from the three - point line to score a team - high of 38 points , while adding 11 rebounds and two blocked shots as well . While he has n't produced as much as Irving , Aldridge has still recorded two solid games in a row , combining for 64 points and 20 rebounds over that span . After scoring 27 points on the Cavaliers the last time they played , Damian Lillard struggled this time around , finishing with only 14 points ( 4 - 19 FG , 3 - 10 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) and five assists . This game marked his worst shooting percentage that he 's had all year , so it was a big reason the Trail Blazers ended with a loss . The only other Blazer to reach double figures in points was Wesley Matthews , who hadd 11 points ( 4 - 10 FG , 3 - 8 3Pt , 0 - 1 FT ) and two assists . Both the Trail Blazers and Cavaliers struggled to find any help from their bench Wednesday . The Blazers ' bench totaled 17 points , while the Cavaliers ' bench had only 11 points . While the Blazers may have taken the advantage in that category , the Cavaliers took the advantage in rebounding , out - rebounding the Blazers 46 - 39 . That may have just been enough to push them to a victory . The Trail Blazers ' next game will be on the road against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday , while the Cavaliers will be at home against the Sacramento Kings on Friday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 28 - 20 ) defeated the Sacramento Kings ( 16 - 29 ) 101 - 90 on Friday . Cleveland went into beast mode in the middle of January . They 've rattled off nine straight wins to adequately squelch any erroneous chatter about coach David Blatt being on the hot seat . LeBron James returned from a one - game absence Friday after having sat out Wednesday 's 99 - 94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers with a wrist injury . James put up 19 points , seven assists , four steals and two blocks in 33 minutes , putting to rest most injury concerns regarding his wrist . Kevin Love rebounded from a poor 3 - for - 15 shooting performance Wednesday to put a game - high 23 points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes . The Cavaliers are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings , 12 games behind the conference - leading Atlanta Hawks . Sacramento has lost eight straight games as their playoff chances continue to sputter and die . Even with another two and a half months of the regular season , the Kings sit 10 games behind the Suns for the final playoff spot , and between the Kings and Suns sit two playoff - worthy teams in the Thunder and Pelicans . DeMarcus Cousins was named as an injury replacement for Kobe Bryant ( shoulder ) on Friday for the All-Star Game , and he celebrated with 21 points , 13 rebounds and five steals . Omri Casspi chipped in 15 points off the bench to help , but the Kings were no match for the ascending Cavaliers . The Cavaliers will go on the road to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday . The Kings will finish up their four - game road trip against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 30 - 20 ) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers ( 10 - 39 ) 97 - 84 on Monday . The Cavs took it to the 76ers right away , starting the game on an 80 run and never trailing from tipoff to the final buzzer . J.R. Smith hit a three - pointer with 8:38 left in the third quarter to put the Cavaliers up by 20 , 59 - 39 . The Sixers would go on a 26 - 10 run to end the third quarter , closing the gap to just four points . Kyrie Irving hit a couple three - pointers to help strengthen the lead early in the fourth . The Cavaliers tightened up their defense and held the Sixers without a field goal in the final 3:47 . Robert Covington had a nice game for the 76ers . He and Jerami Grant each scored 18 points . Covington also had a season - high with seven steals . Michael Carter-Williams played a season - low 20 minutes on Monday , leaving the game with 7:31 left in the third quarter with a shin injury . Larry Drew II finished the game at point guard for the Sixers . Philadelphia holds the Eastern Conferences ' worst overall record . The 76ers will play the Nuggets on Tuesday , and the Cavaliers will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 31 - 20 ) continued their hot streak Thursday by dismantling the Los Angeles Clippers ( 33 - 17 ) 105 - 94 at the Quicken Loans Arena in a game that was not nearly as close as the score would suggest . The Cavaliers had the luxury of resting their starters for the fourth quarter as they entered the period with a commanding 94 - 63 lead . LeBron James and Kevin Love were dominant when they were on the floor , scoring 23 and 24 points respectively . The Clippers were clearly flustered with the game quickly getting out of hand in the third quarter as Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan each picked up a technical foul and Matt Barnes got ejected after his second . Los Angeles is now 2 - 3 on its current eight game road trip . The Clippers let a win get away Monday in Brooklyn and did not bring their best effort to Cleveland . J.J Redick was sidelined for Thursday 's contest with back spasms , which led to Jamal Crawford getting the start at shooting guard . Los Angeles will look to get the taste of Thursday 's loss out of its mouth Friday in Toronto . Cleveland has now won 12 straight games to pull into a tie with Washington for the third seed in the East . In addition to James and Love 's solid games , Cleveland got good performances from J.R Smith and Timofey Mozgov . The Cavaliers are rounding into form and look like the team that many predicted to come out of the East before the season started . Cleveland will travel to Indiana on Friday to finish out a back - to - back set .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 32 - 21 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 13 - 38 ) 120 - 105 on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland . In a dominating effort , the Cavaliers got out to a quick start in this matchup , out - scoring the Lakers 64 - 49 in the first half alone . The Cavaliers were the superior shooters in this game as well , going 55 percent from the field and 55 percent from the three - point line , while the Lakers went just 41 percent from the floor and 30 percent from beyond the arc . The Cavaliers ' big three of LeBron James , Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving did most of the damage in this one . Love led all scorers , finishing with 32 points ( 11 - 18 FG , 7 - 8 3Pt , 3 - 5 FT ) , 10 rebounds and three assists . After a dissapointing performance in Friday 's game against the Pacers , where he finished with just five points , it was good to see him get things turned back around and play well . Also having an impressive showing , Irving recorded 28 points ( 10 - 14 FG , 5 - 8 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) , four rebounds and ten assists . It marked his fifth double - double of the season . Over his last two games , he 's now combined for 57 points , eight rebounds and 15 assists , as he 's been dominating his competition . James on the other hand , totaled 22 points ( 8 - 16 FG , 2 - 7 3Pt , 4 - 5 FT ) , 10 rebounds and eight assists , nearly recording a triple - double Sunday . He did n't have to do as much work as usual , considering the success of both Love and Irving . For the Lakers , rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson had a solid perfomance , finishing with 20 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 8 - 9 FT ) , six rebounds and four assists . It was a season - high in points for the rookie , who has now scored 14 points or more in five out his last six games , despite averaging only 7 per game on the season . He 's been getting more and more comfortable in the starting lineup , and its beginning to show with more consistent play . Without much production from the rest of the starters , the Lakers bench had to put up some numbers . Ed Davis went 6 - for - 7 from the floor and 4 - for - 4 from the free throw line to finish with 16 points and nine rebounds in just 24 minutes . He 's averaging only 8 points per game so far this season , so it was a nice surprise for the Lakers . Also coming off the bench , Wesley Johnson played well . In 29 minutes , he finished with 15 points ( 5 - 14 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt , 3 - 3 FT ) , two assists and two steals . The two steals matched a season - high . The Cavaliers ' next game will be at home against the Miami Heat on Wednesday , while the Lakers will be at home against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 33 - 21 ) routed the Miami Heat ( 22 - 30 ) 113 - 93 on Wednesday at the Quicken Loans Arena . The Cavaliers avenged their Christmas Day loss to the Heat with an easy victory Wednesday . Cleveland did not escape unscathed , however , as Kevin Love left the game in the third quarter with an eye injury . LeBron James had a double - double against his former team , finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds . Miami was without Dwayne Wade once again , but his participation in Tuesday 's practice indicates that he 's nearing a return . Hassan Whiteside had another outstanding game as he finished the game with 17 points and 14 rebounds in just 28 minutes . The Heat have a slim one - game lead over the Nets for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture . Cleveland 's has only lost one time since Jan. 15 . The Cavaliers got a good game out of their center as well , with Timofey Mozgov putting up a team - high 20 points on 7 - of - 8 shooting . The Cavaliers recent push has put them into the top half of the Eastern Conference playoff pool . Cleveland will travel to Chicago to take on the Bulls on Thursday in the final game before the All-Star break .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 37 - 22 ) defeated the Golden State Warriors ( 44 - 11 ) 110 - 99 Cleveland 's answer to Golden State 's Splash Brothers was a dominant performance from LeBron James . James had a remarkable game with a season - high 42 points on 15 - of - 25 shooting from the field to go with 11 rebounds and five assists . When the first quarter ended , both teams were on pace to top 120 points on the night . From there , Cleveland pulled away and never let Golden State get too close . Whenever the Warriors seemed poised to make a run , the Cavaliers had an answer . Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 31 points on just 10 - of - 30 from the floor . Golden State has now dropped two of its last three games against Eastern Conference opponents . Shooting was a major issue throughout this game , as Golden State could n't seem to get into an offensive rhythm , especially in the second half . The Warriors entered the game shooting just under 48 percent from the field as a team , but were held to 42 percent on Thursday and 37 percent from beyond the arc . Golden State draws another tough Eastern Conference opponent Friday with a matchup against Toronto . The Cavaliers rode James ' dominant performance to their 11th straight at home . Cleveland has now won 18 of their last 20 games overall . Center Timofey Mozgov pitched in a double - double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes of action . The Cavaliers have a meeting in Indiana with the Pacers on Friday , the team that snapped their 12 - game winning streak earlier this month .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 38 - 24 ) defeated the Boston Celtics ( 23 - 35 ) 110 - 79 on Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland . The Cavaliers got out to an extremely quick start , out - scoring the Celtics 29 - 16 in the first quarter , while grabbing a 61 - 36 lead by half . They did n't slow down coming out of the half either , out - scoring the Celtics 34 - 17 in the third quarter , therefore setting them up to pull off an impressive 31 - point win in front of their home crowd . The Cavaliers were the superior shooting team in this game , going 48 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three - point line , while the Celtics finished at 35 percent from the floor and just 25 percent from deep . It also did n't help that the Celtics turned the ball over 16 times , while forcing the Cavs into just 11 . LeBron James had himself a day Wednesday , going 12 - for - 23 from the field and 3 - for - 3 from the free throw line to finish with 27 points , while adding five assists and three steals in just 26 minutes . He 's been absolutely on fire of late , averaging 35 points , 7 rebounds and three steals per game over his last three outings . Returning to the starting lineup after missing two games with a strained left shoulder , Kyrie Irving showed no signs of still being affected by the injury . In 26 minutes , he posted 18 points ( 6 - 10 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , five assists and two steals . He could 've recorded even higher numbers , but considering the blow out and the recent injury , he was limited to just under 25 minutes on the court . Coming just shy of a double - double , Kevin Love finished with 12 points ( 4 - 10 FG , 2 - 6 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and eight rebounds in 24 minutes . Like both Irving and James , he could 've had a lot more production , but the Cavaliers were up by so much , that the coaching staff felt it was necessary to rest the starters . He 's now averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds on the season . Tristan Thompson added 10 points on 4 - of - 4 shooting from the field , to go along with seven rebounds as well . As shown by their final score , the Celtics really struggled to find a source of scoring . Brandon Bass was one of the only consistent options in this game , as he went 7 - for - 15 from the field and 1 - for - 1 from the three - point line to score a team - high of 15 points , while adding five rebounds as well . He 's had a nice start to March offensively , recording two games in a row with 15 points.The only other Celtic to reach double figures was Isaiah Thomas , who came off the bench for 11 points ( 4 - 13 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt 3 - 4 FT ) and two assists in just 20 minutes . Since joining the Celtics just six games ago , he 's been arguably their best source of scoring , averaging 20 points over that six game span . Also off the bench , rookie James Young posted nine points ( 2 - 5 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 3 - 3FT ) in just 17 minutes . Other than Bass , the Celtics starters combined for just 19 points , which wo n't win any team very many ball games . The Cavaliers ' next game will be on the road against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday , while the Celtics will be at home against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 40 - 25 ) improved to 21 - 5 over the past 26 games with their win over the Phoenix Suns ( 33 - 31 ) , 89 - 79 . Alex Len was held out after spraining his right ankle the previous night . Earl Barron earned a start in Len 's absence . The Suns outscored the Cavaliers 27 - 9 in the final period to make the game seem closer than the final score . Tristan Thompson was the unsung hero for the Cavaliers , producing 15 points , a team - high 12 rebounds , one assist , and one steal in 29 minutes off the bench . Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith combined to shoot 6 - of - 23 from the field . Irving picked up two fouls early in the first quarter and did n't return until the third quarter . P.J.Tucker joined the starting lineup after a one - game demotion for missing the team bus to shootaround , shifting Marcus Morris back to a reserve role . T.J. Warren was the only Suns player to convert more than half his shots . The starting lineup shot a combined 16 - of - 52 , and Markieff Morris scored a team - high 16 points . Brandan Wright played a season - high 30 minutes and provided seven points , seven rebounds , one assist , two steals and three blocks . The Cavaliers have two days off before beginning a four - game road trip against the Dallas Mavericks . The Suns start their own five - game homestand Monday against the Golden State Warriors .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 44 - 26 ) defeated the Brooklyn Nets ( 27 - 39 ) 117 - 92 on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland . In securing this win , the Cavaliers continue to keep a strong hold on the second projected playoff seed in the Eastern Conference standings , with both the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls trailing them by two games or more . The Hawks still own a 10 and a half game lead for the top overall spot , so it remains unlikely the Cavaliers can make up that gap in time for the playoffs . This marks a tough loss for the Nets , as it pushes them to three games behind the Miami Heat for the final projected playoff seed in the East . The Cavaliers shot really well in this game , going 55 percent from the field and 52 percent from the three - point line , while having seven players reach double figures in points . J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov led the team in scoring . Mozgov finished with 17 points ( 7 - 8 FG , 3 - 5 FT ) and three rebounds in just 16 minutes , while Smith posted 17 points ( 6 - 13 FG , 5 - 10 3Pt ) and two assists over 27 minutes . Mozgov has picked his game up of late and is averaging 13 points and 4 rebounds over his last five games . LeBron James also got into the action and finished with 16 points ( 5 - 13 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt , 4 - 6 FT ) and seven assists . James had scored over 20 points in each of his last four games , but he did n't need to Wednesday , as everyone seemed to play well offensively and put up some points . Both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love chipped in with double - doubles . Irving recorded 12 points ( 5 - 10 FG , 1 - 1 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) and 10 assists , while Love had 10 points ( 4 - 9 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 2 - 3 FT ) and 11 rebounds . Despite suffering the loss , Deron Williams posted a solid all - around game . In 28 minutes , he scored a team - high of 20 points ( 7 - 15 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt , 5 - 5 FT ) , while also adding six assists and two rebounds . He 's been pretty inconsistent lately , but is averaging 10 points , 3 rebounds , 5 assists and 1 steals over his last five games . The Nets also saw some solid contributions from their bench . Center Mason Plumlee went a perfect 3 - for - 3 from the field , while going just 4 - for - 8 from the free throw line to score 10 points to go along with five rebounds in just 24 minutes . He has n't produced much offensively since losing a large portion of his playing time to Brook Lopez , as this was just the first time in his last six games that he reached double figures in points . Both Bojan Bogdanovic and Jarrett Jack played well off the bench and finished with 12 and 11 points respectively . The Cavaliers ' next game will be at home against the Indiana Pacers on Friday , while the Nets will be at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 45 - 26 ) defeated the Indiana Pacers ( 30 - 37 ) 95 - 92 on Friday in Cleveland . Cleveland had lost the last two matchups with Indiana this season , but this time around was different , as a LeBron James jumper put the Cavaliers up one with just over two minutes to go , and the Pacers were unable to score from that point on . All five Cleveland starters scored in double figures with James leading the way , putting up a game - high 29 points on 13 - of - 26 shooting , seven rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes . Kevin Love recorded a double - double in 39 minutes of play , putting up 11 points on just 3 - of - 9 shooting and 13 rebounds . Kyrie Irving ( 13 ) , Timofey Mozgov ( 12 ) and J.R. Smith ( 11 ) round out the Cavaliers starters who scored in double figures , while Matthew Dellavedova recorded 11 points and five assists in 17 minutes off the bench . The win puts Cleveland comfortably in second place in the Eastern Conference playoff race , as they hold a 3 - game lead over the Raptors , but they are still 10 games behind Atlanta for first place . The Pacers were lead by George Hill , who scored a team - high 24 points on 9 - of - 15 shooting in 33 minutes . Roy Hibbert was not too far behind , scoring 20 points on 8 - of - 13 shooting and grabbing eight rebounds in 35 minutes . This was the first time since the beginning of January where Hibbert scored 20 - plus points . Louis Scola also added a double - double for Indiana , scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench . No other Indiana players scored in double figures , and Rodney Stuckey , who usually provides a scoring spark off the bench for the Pacers , scored just six points on 2 - of - 11 shooting in 25 minutes . David West ( illness ) left Friday 's game after playing just 12 minutes and did not return to action . The loss is Indiana 's fourth in a row and they currently are on the outside of the playoff race in the East looking in , as they stand a half game behind the Boston Celtics for the final spot . Up next , the Cavaliers will head to Milwaukee Sunday to take on the Bucks , while the Pacers will play the Nets at home on Saturday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 48 - 27 ) survived a scare from the Philadelphia 76ers ( 18 - 56 ) as they edged them out by a score of 87 - 86 at the Quicken Loans Arena . The 76ers gave the Cavaliers everything they could handle Sunday , but fell just short of pulling off the upset as Nerlens Noel missed the potential go - ahead jumper with two seconds remaining . The Cavaliers narrowly avoided their second straight loss despite being held to just 39 % shooting from the field . The 76ers missed too many free throws down the stretch , finishing just 8 - for - 15 from the stripe in a one point loss . Philadelphia could have taken the season series from Cleveland had it won Sunday 's contest . Philadelphia put forth a valiant effort Sunday against the East 's second seed on Sunday , but poor free throw shooting prevented the upset . Robert Covington bounced back from a disappointing two point outing Friday to score 19 against the Cavaliers . Furkan Aldemir got the start at center and responded with 11 points and 10 rebounds over 27 minutes . The 76ers will finish out their back - to - back set on Monday when they host the Lakers . Cleveland had its full complement of players on the floor to start the game , but it did n't end that way . Iman Shumpert left the game with an ankle injury and Kevin Love had an early exit due to a lower back injury . LeBron James had 20 points , but it came on 8 - of - 24 shooting from the floor and 3 - of - 6 shooting from the line . The Cavaliers will be idle Monday before hosting the Heat on Tuesday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers ( 49 - 27 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 34 - 41 ) 114 - 88 on Thursday at the Quicken Loans Arena . Cleveland seized control from the early going Thursday , but its road to victory got significantly easier when Dwayne Wade left the game midway through the second quarter . Wade slipped and took an awkward fall , suffering a bruised left knee that sidelined him for the remainder of the game . Cleveland allowed Miami to get as close as 10 points in the third before completely pulling away . LeBron James and Kyrie Irving each poured in 23 points to help notch the Cavaliers ' 17th consecutive home win . Miami was already a banged up unit coming into Thursday 's game , but losing Dwayne Wade for any amount of time could put its playoff chances in serious jeopardy . Thursday 's loss drops Miami to the eighth spot in the East , with teams like Boston , Charlotte , and Indiana all within striking distance . Wade 's injury occured to the same knee that he had drained last Saturday , leaving his status ahead of Saturday 's game in Detroit in question . The Heat did have a key player return to the starting lineup Thursday with Hassan Whiteside getting the nod at center . Whiteside finished with 17 points and eight rebounds . The Heat have a couple games with major playoff implications on the horizon with matchups against the Pacers and Hornets following Saturday 's game . Cleveland did n't have its full complement of players available for this game , but its reserves rose to the occasion . Kevin Love sat out with a sore back , but Tristan Thompson was a difference maker with his increased playing time . Thompson pulled down 15 rebounds to go with eight points and Iman Shumpert had one of his best games as a Cavalier , pouring in 17 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting . Cleveland will have a couple days off before returning to action Sunday against Chicago .


The Cavaliers ( 50 - 27 ) defeated the Bulls ( 46 - 31 ) 99 - 94 on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena . Cleveland went into halftime with a 10 - point lead , bolstered by a spectacular J.R. Smith 41 - foot jumper at the buzzer . The Cavaliers never surrendered their halftime lead . They came into the fourth quarter up eight points , and won by five as Chicago 's Jimmy Butler hit a three - pointer as time expired . LeBron James had a triple - double with 20 points ( 8 - 17 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt ) , 10 rebounds , 12 assists , three steals and one block in 37 minutes . Kyrie Irving was Cleveland 's leading scorer with 27 points ( 8 - 19 FG , 4 - 5 3Pt ) , to go with five rebounds , four assists , three steals and one block in 37 minutes . J.R. Smith decided to shoot all his shots from beyond the arc , going 8 - for - 17 for 24 points in 43 minutes . Kevin Love ( back ) returned from a one - game absence , posting 11 points ( 4 - 12 FG , 3 - 8 3PT ) , four rebounds , two assists , two steals and one block in 31 minutes . Mike Dunleavy was the Bulls ' leading scorer with 24 points ( 8 - 12 FG , 4 - 6 3Pt ) , to go with five rebounds , four assists and one steal in 33 minutes . Aaron Brooks had 17 points ( 6 - 13 FG , 2 - 6 3Pt ) , five rebounds , six assists and one steal in 38 minutes . Jimmy Butler contributed 16 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt ) , four rebounds , five assists and three steals in 42 minutes . The Cavaliers are second in the Eastern Conference , 8 games behind the Hawks , and have clinched a playoff berth . The Bulls are third in the East , 12 games behind Atlanta . They too have clinched a playoff spot . The Cavaliers have won the season series with the Bulls 3 - 1 .


The Boston Celtics ( 37 - 42 ) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 51 - 28 ) 99 - 90 on Friday in Cleveland . With the Cavaliers solidified as the No . 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs , they did not try particularly hard to win this game , starting with sitting Kyrie Irving ( hip ) to make sure he stays healthy . Regardless , the Celtics took advantage , picking up a huge victory as they fight to stay in the playoffs . Marcus Smart led the way scoring for Boston , posting 19 points on 7 - of - 10 shooting in 34 minutes . Avery Bradley was close behind , scoring 15 points ( 7 - 12 FG ) in 31 minutes . The Celtics starting frontcourt of Tyler Zeller and Brandon Bass combined to score 25 points and grab 11 rebounds . Boston 's final starter , Evan Turner , struggled shooting the ball and only scored four points , but still managed to dish out 13 assists and grab six rebounds . Isaiah Thomas , as he has done so well since joining the Celtics , provided solid production off the bench , scoring 17 points ( 4 - 12 FG , 2 - 6 3Pt ) in 23 minutes . The victory keeps Boston in the playoff chase , as they are tied with the Nets for the final playoff spot , but currently hold the tiebreaker . They are 2 games behind the Bucks for sixth place . For Cleveland this was essentially a night off , as both Lebron James and Kevin Love played less than their normal load of minutes and sat out during crunch time . James scored 14 points ( 5 - 14 FG , 0 - 5 3Pt ) and dished out seven assists in 26 minutes , while Kevin Love scored 19 ( 6 - 12 FG , 4 - 8 3Pt ) and grabbed six rebounds in 31 minutes . Timofey Mozgov played just 17 minutes , but scored 13 points , and J.R. Smith scored zero points in 18 minutes . Mike Miller was the only other Cavalier player to score in double figures with 11 . Up next , these teams will both head to Boston on Sunday for a rematch .