NBA roundup: James guides Cavs past Thunder

[December 18, 2015]  CLEVELAND -- LeBron James scored 33 points, passed for 11 assists and grabbed nine rebounds, and the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers twice rallied from double-digit deficits to beat the Oklahoma City 104-100 Thursday, ending the Thunder's six-game winning streak.

Tristan Thompson had 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Cavs, including 11 offensive rebounds. Four of those offensive boards came in the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook had 27 points and 10 assists, and Kevin Durant scored 25 points, but both stars missed potential game-tying 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds.

The game was delayed with 3:07 to play after James collided with a courtside fan while diving after a loose ball. The injured woman, Ellie Day, was taken out on a stretcher and was accompanied by her husband, PGA Tour golfer Jason Day.

Hornets 109, Raptors 99 (OT)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jeremy Lin stepped into the starting lineup and scored a season-high 35 points, and Charlotte pulled out an overtime victory over Toronto.

Lin started in place of Nicolas Batum, who missed the game due to illness, and finished 13 of 22 from the field. The Hornets, who got 27 points from Kemba Walker, snapped a two-game losing streak and won for the fifth time in their past seven games.

The Raptors forced overtime by scoring the last seven points of regulation. DeMar DeRozan hit a 35-footer that could have won the game, but the Raptors called time out with 0.7 remaining, before the shot. DeRozan led Toronto with 31 points.

Rockets 107, Lakers 87

LOS ANGELES -- James Harden had 25 points, six rebounds and six assists, leading Houston to a romp over Los Angeles.

Houston's Dwight Howard scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds despite experiencing foul trouble throughout the contest. Terrence Jones had 16 points, and Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley chipped in 13 apiece as the Rockets ended a two-game slide. They also defeated Los Angeles for the fifth consecutive time at Staples.

Kobe Bryant scored 22 points and had eight rebounds for the Lakers, who lost for the seventh time in eight games. Julius Randle added 18 points and 10 boards.

[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.