Lebron James scored 27 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers snatched a thrilling overtime victory from the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday. James led the scoring for Cleveland after the Cavaliers had trailed for much of the contest as the Mavericks raced into an early 23-7 lead. The pivotal moment in a 110-107 win for the Cavaliers — their eighth consecutive victory — came with 13 seconds to go in overtime, when Kyrie Irving nailed a long-range three-pointer to seal the win. It capped a remarkable transformation in fortunes for the Cavaliers, who struggled to find the basket all night, with Irving and Kevin Love both missing a succession of attempts. Cleveland's winning streak might have come to an end had Dallas veteran Dirk Nowitzki not squandered a gilt-edged opportunity in the closing seconds of regulation. Nowitzki looked certain to score after finding himself isolated with Cleveland guard Iman Shumpert. But Shumpert managed to strip Nowitzki and the chance was gone. A nerve-jangling final quarter saw the lead change 10 times, while the game was tied three times in the final two minutes. Cleveland now lead the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 27-9, ahead of the Toronto Raptors (24-15). Lakers 95, Pelicans 91: Kobe Bryant's Achilles injury flared again as the Los Angeles Lakers ended a four-game losing streak with a 95-91 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Bryant, who had missed Sunday's loss to the Utah Jazz with an Achilles problem, limped out of the contest in the second quarter after scoring seven points in 16 minutes. The NBA legend, who is retiring at the end of the season, missed all five of his three-point attempts before exiting. Guard Lou Williams was the hero for the Lakers, scoring 19 points and supplying eight assists. Williams also made a crucial late basket with 18.5 seconds left to give the Lakers a three-point lead. Jordan Clarkson finished with 18 points for the Lakers and point guard D'Angelo Russell added 13 points. Tyreke Evans top-scored with 21 points for the Pelicans. Rockets 107, Grizzlies 91: James Harden scored 25 points and Terrence Jones added 20 off the bench to lead the Houston to its fourth straight win. The Rockets connected on 18 three-pointers, including four by Harden, and enjoyed a decisive edge on the board to snap their losing streak against Memphis. Knicks 120, Celtics 114: Kristaps Porzingis poured in 26 points to lead New York to the victory. The Knicks won for the fifth time in their last seven games despite the loss of Carmelo Anthony, their leading scorer, who left the game with a sprained right ankle after a collision late in the first half with a referee. The veteran small forward was having a good offensive night, finishing with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists in almost 18 minutes. Thunder 101, Timberwolves 96: Russell Westbrook fell just short of another triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, and Oklahoma City held on late to beat Minnesota. Kevin Durant scored 28 points for Oklahoma City, including 12 in the fourth quarter as Minnesota tried to rally. Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points for Minnesota, which has lost 11 of its past 12 games. Spurs 109, Pistons 99: Tony Parker poured in a season-high 31 points and San Antonio stretched its winning streak to nine games by downing Detroit. The veteran point guard, who made 13-of-19 field-goal attempts, scored all his points in the final three quarters. LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 22 points and 13 rebounds and Manu Ginobili supplied 15 points and five rebounds off the bench. Other results: Bucks 106, Bulls 101; Pacers 116, Suns 97.
