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NBA roundup: LeBron James leads the Cavaliers to victory over Magic

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James shoots over Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon during the first half.
(Willie J. Allen Jr. / Associated Press)
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LeBron James had 33 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to just miss a triple-double in Cleveland’s 131-127 victory over Orlando.

Kevin Love added 27 points, and Isaiah Thomas had 19 points and four assists in his first start since returning from a hip injury that delayed his Cavaliers debut. Dwayne Wade added 16 points.

Aaron Gordon led Orlando with 30 points, and Elfrid Payton had 20 points and five assists.

Celtics 87, at Nets 85: Jayson Tatum had a driving dunk and a 3-pointer on consecutive late possessions, pulling Boston out of a late hole against Brooklyn.

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Playing without Al Horford because of a sore left knee, Boston won its sixth straight heading into its trip to London to face Philadelphia on Thursday.

The Celtics were trailing by one when Tatum got the ball and drove for a powerful slam that gave them an 84-83 lead. Kyrie Irving missed on Boston’s next possession but wrestled the ball away from DeMarre Carroll and got it to Tatum in the corner and his 3 made it 87-83 with 45 seconds to play.

The Nets cut it two on Joe Harris’ tip and chances to tie in the final seconds, but missed a series of shots near the basket, with DeMarre Carroll appearing to be injured during the sequence.

Irving finished with 21 points, and Tatum added 14.

Spencer Dinwiddie had 20 points for the Nets.

at Pistons 108, Rockets 101: Tobias Harris scored 27 points and Detroit held off Houston.

Detroit is only four games over .500, but the Pistons have beaten Golden State, Boston, San Antonio, Minnesota and now Houston. The Rockets are without injured star James Harden, but the Pistons were missing their own standout, with Andre Drummond sidelined because of a right rib contusion.

Chris Paul had 16 points and 13 assists for Houston. Ish Smith scored 17 points for Detroit, and Dwight Buycks added a career-high 16.

Bucks 110, at Wizards 103: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 12 rebounds, Eric Bledsoe added 21 points and Milwaukee pulled away late to beat Washington.

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Antetokounmpo also had seven assists to help Milwaukee win for the fourth time in six games and snap Washington’s four-game winning streak. Milwaukee guard Matthew Dellavedova was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul on Washington’s Bradley Beal midway through the fourth quarter.

John Wall had 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Wizards, but shot 0 for 5 from the floor in the fourth. Bradley Beal led Washington with 20 points.

at Timberwolves 116, Pelicans 98: Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler each scored 21 points, Andrew Wiggins added 20 and Minnesota cruised past New Orleans.

Towns went 7 for 11 from the field and had 16 rebounds for another strong effort after Friday’s 25-point, 23-rebound career performance in Boston.

DeMarcus Cousins led the Pelicans with 23 points.

at Pacers 125, Bulls 86: Victor Oladipo had 23 points and nine assists in three quarters in his return from a right knee injury in Indiana’s victory over Chicago.

Oladipo also had six rebounds and five steals to help the Pacers end a five-game losing streak. He missed the previous four games. Domantas Sabonis added 22 points.

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Bobby Portis had 15 points Bulls. They’ve lost four of their last five games.

at Kings 106, Nuggets 98: Forty-year-old Vince Carter scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter and Sacramento held off Denver Nuggets.

De’Aaron Fox had 18 points and seven assists, and Willie Cauley-Stein added 17 points.

Trey Lyles led Denver with 19 points.

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