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Alwadi/ Agencies
The Cleveland Cavaliers equaled the second-best start in NBA history when they won their 15th victory at the expense of the visiting Charlotte Hornets 128-114 on Sunday.
Under new coach Kenny Atkinson, the Cavaliers became the fourth team in league history to win 15 games since the start of the NBA season, tying the Washington Capitols (1949) and Houston Rockets (1994), but still far from the record-holder Golden State Warriors’ 24 wins in the 2016 season.
Cleveland won without star forward Donovan Mitchell, who was rested after averaging 24.6 points in 14 games this season.
Darius Garland had 25 points and 12 assists, Ty Jerome had 24 points and 8 assists, Evan Mobley had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Jarrett Allen added 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Garland said: “We’re always capable of fighting. “Everybody’s ready to play, it doesn’t matter who’s on the floor,” Garland said.
“Everybody contributed. Everybody contributed to the big win. That’s what team play is all about.”
The streak is the longest in Cleveland’s 55-year history, surpassing the 13 consecutive victories when “The King” LeBron James was in the lineup.
Cleveland, which is looking for its sixteenth consecutive win at the home of the defending champion Boston Celtics on Tuesday, is the only one without a loss this season.
For Charlotte, which is ninth in the Eastern Conference, LaMelo Ball was the best scorer with 31 points and 12 assists.
In Oklahoma City, last season’s runner-up Dallas Mavericks beat the host Thunder 121-119 despite the absence of injured Slovenian star Luka Doncic.
In Doncic’s absence, P.J. Washington stood out with 27 points and 17 rebounds, while other star Kyrie Irving added 23 points.
For the loser, Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stood out with 36 points. He hit a three-pointer, stole the ball from Irving and made a free throw, but missed another and his compatriot Lugtz Dort missed a game-winning three-pointer in overtime.
Julius Randle had a great game with a game-winning basket from beyond the arc that gave the Minnesota Timberwolves a 120-117 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Star Anthony Edwards scored two free throws that tied the numbers with 46 seconds left in regulation, before Randle released his dramatic shot, raising his score to 35 points to 24 for Edwards.
For the Suns, who were without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, Devin Booker’s 44 points were not enough to avoid a loss.
Cade Cunningham recorded a triple-double of 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 124-104 win over the host Washington Wizards.
Jayden Ivey added 28 points for the winner and Malik Beasley 26.
In the absence of a new absence of the best player in the league, Serbian Nikola Jokic, for personal reasons from the Denver Nuggets, his team fell for the second time in a row to the host Memphis Grizzlies 90-105.
In Indianapolis, Myles Turner scored a season-high 34 points, leading his team to beat the Miami Heat 119-110.Tyler Herro scored 28 points for the loser.
Canadian Shayden Sharp of the Portland Trail Blazers stole the ball from Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young (29 points), then hit two free throws to raise his score to 32 points, giving his team a 114-109 victory.
Atlanta squandered the victory after giving up in the third quarter when Portland scored 17 consecutive points. Promising Frenchman Zachary Rezachet did not score more than 11 points in 21 minutes for Atlanta.
Turkish center Alberin Shengun had a triple double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, while Fred VanVleet added 28 points to lead the Houston Rockets, third in the Western Conference, to a big win over the host Chicago Bulls 143-107.
Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 15 rebounds as the New York Knicks, fourth in the East, beat the Brooklyn Nets 114-104.
The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Utah Jazz 116-105, in a game in which his star James Harden reached the 2974th three-pointer, second in league history, with the record holder being Golden State’s Stephen Curry (3782).
Harden had 20 points and 11 assists in the game and Croatian giant center Ivica Zubac added 22 points.
Arop
