CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, Pau Gasol added 26 and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers continued their impressive road trip with a 106-97 win over the reeling Charlotte Bobcats on Monday.
The Lakers improved to 4-1 since acquiring Gasol behind Bryant’s third straight game scoring 30 or more points.
In improving to 6-2 on their nine-game road trip, the Lakers never trailed but struggled to put away the Bobcats. Charlotte cut a 13-point deficit to 89-86 midway through the fourth quarter before wilting in their seventh straight loss.
Raymond Felton scored 29 points and Nazr Mohammed added 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Bobcats, who matched their longest losing streak of the season.
Cavaliers 118, Magic 111
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Larry Hughes scored a season-high 40 points and LeBron James added 29 and 10 assists as Cleveland won.
e period.
Hedo Turkoglu had 25 points for Orlando, leading all five starters in double figures, while Dwight Howard had 16 points and nine rebounds. Howard scored 10 in the first quarter, but struggled the rest of the way as Cleveland collapsed inside with double- and triple-teams.
Orlando lost its second straight, and third of a five-game home stretch before the All-Star break.
76ers 84, Mavericks 76
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Andre Miller scored 21 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to their fourth straight win.
Miller, the Eastern Conference player of the week, is a big reason why the Sixers are suddenly thinking about a playoff push. Philadelphia has won the first four games of a five-game homestand and moved a half-game behind idle New Jersey for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Andre Iguodala finished with 14 points, including a pair of jumpers during a late 12-1 run that helped the Sixers pull away and earn a rare standing ovation from the home crowd.
Josh Howard led the short-handed Mavericks with 17 points before leaving in the fourth with a back injury, and Dirk Nowitzki added 15.
Spurs 93, Raptors 88
TORONTO (AP) – Manu Ginobili scored a season-high 34 points and added a career-high 15 rebounds, leading the San Antonio Spurs.
Antonio’s only defeat in that time was a 98-90 loss at Boston on Sunday.
Ginobili had 21 points in 19 first-half minutes, scored three more in the third, then helped put the game away with 10 in the fourth.
Toronto’s Jose Calderon scored a career-high 27 as the Raptors dropped their third straight at home.
San Antonio has won 10 of its past 12 against Toronto.
Clippers 96, Bucks 89
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Al Thornton scored 25 points and Sam Cassell added 21 points and eight assists as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Milwaukee Bucks.
Los Angeles, which finished 3-4 on its road trip, also got 20 points from Corey Maggette.
Mo Williams, who missed Saturday’s game against New York because of a flu, led Milwaukee with 31 points. Michael Redd finished with just 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting, taking only one shot in the first half.
Rockets 95, Portland 83
HOUSTON (AP) – Yao Ming had 25 points and seven rebounds as the Houston Rockets won their seventh straight.
Rafer Alston scored 13 of his 17 points in the third quarter, when the Rockets began to stretch their lead over the team right behind them in the Western Conference standings.
Tracy McGrady had 12 points and six assists for the Rockets, who’ve matched their longest winning streak since they won the last seven games of the 2004-05 season.
Former Texas star LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 to lead the Trail Blazers, who’ve lost four of their last five.
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