NBA Capsules
February 12th, 2010 Posted in NBA basketball newsCLEVELAND -LeBron James had 32 points and 13 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers matched their franchise record by winning their 13th straight game with a 115-106 victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night in a rematch of last seasons Eastern Conference finals.
Both teams are again on top of the East this year, but Cleveland has won both head-to-head meetings.
As he has done all season, James again closed out another opponent late in the game, scoring seven points in the final three minutes. Orlando went scoreless for five minutes in the fourth as Cleveland turned a two-point deficit into a 105-98 lead.
The anticipated matchup between Shaquille ONeal and Dwight Howard never really materialized because both were in foul trouble throughout. Fouls were a problem for both teams as they combined for 43 fouls and 56 free throws.
Orlando, playing for the fourth time in five nights, had won nine of its last 11.
Spurs 111, Nuggets 92
DENVER – George Hill scored 17 points after starting in place of an injured Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs never trailed in routing the cold-shooting Denver Nuggets.
DeJuan Blair also scored 17 points, Tim Duncan added 16 and Manu Ginobili 15 for San Antonio, which snapped a three-game losing streak to Denver dating to last season.
The Spurs outshot the Nuggets 53.2 percent to 39.2 in winning for just the third time in six games despite missing Parker, who was sidelined with a left hip flexor strain suffered three days ago during a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nuggets were missing their best defensive player, Kenyon Martin, who sat out a second consecutive game because of tendinitis in his left knee.
Nene had 20 points and Carmelo Anthony 19 for the Nuggets, who lost for only the fourth time in 28 games this season at the Pepsi Center.
