By ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT (AP) — Darius Garland hit a 31-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a 118-115 win over the Detroit Pistons Wednesday, Feb. 5.
The Cavaliers, playing without All-Star Donovan Mitchell who missed the game with a shoulder contusion, overcame nine points from Detroit’s Cade Cunningham in 11 seconds.
Cunningham made it 112-109 with a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left, but Garland hit a free throw to make it a two-possession game.
Cunningham made three free throws to pull Detroit within one with 7.3 seconds to go. The Pistons fouled Garland, who made 115-112. Cleveland fouled Cunningham on a 3-point attempt, and he hit all three, tying the game with five seconds left. Garland rushed down the court and hit the winning shot from just inside the center-court logo.
Evan Mobley had 30 points for Cleveland and Garland added 25. Cunningham had 38 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile in Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 50 points and the NBA-leading Thunder routed the Phoenix Suns, 140-109, to improve to 40-9.
The Thunder said Gilgeous-Alexander became the ninth player in NBA history to score at least 50 points three times in a seven-game span. He had a career-high 54 against Utah on Jan. 29 and 52 at Golden State a week ago.
Phoenix’s Kevin Durant sat out with a sprained left ankle. The 36-year-old All-Star forward remains 26 points short of 30,000 for his career.
Oklahoma City’s fans still got a show. Several times, they serenaded Gilgeous-Alexander with the “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants once reserved for Durant as the former Thunder star watched from the Phoenix bench.
Bradley Beal led Phoenix with 25 points, Devin Booker had 19 and Royce O’Neale 18. They have lost three in a row.
Meanwhile in Philadelphia, Tyler Herro scored 30 points and Bam Adebayo had 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Miami Heat defeated the 76ers, 108-101, on the night the Heat traded Jimmy Butler to Golden State.
The game played out amid online reports in the first half that Butler would be traded to the Warriors. Butler was suspended by the team for the game, and Josh Richardson, also reportedly part of the deal, was out with a foot injury.
Tyrese Maxey scored 31, his seventh straight scoring at least 30 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 15 points and 11 rebounds. The 76ers forced 22 turnovers but couldn’t capitalize on them.
In Salt Lake City, Jordan Clarkson scored 31 points and Keyonte George added 26 to lead the Utah Jazz to a 131-128 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Isaiah Collier added 20 points and 11 assists. Walker Kessler chipped in 15 points and 18 rebounds and John Collins added 19 points.
Stephen Curry led Golden State with 32 points and seven assists. Brandin Podziemski added a career-high 29 points and Buddy Hield chipped in 18.
In Denver, Michael Porter Jr. tied a career high with 39 points on the eve of the trade deadline, Nikola Jokic added 38 and the Nuggets beat the struggling New Orleans Pelicans, 144-119, for their fourth straight win.
Porter finished 16 of 23 from the field, including five 3-pointers, and had 12 rebounds. His name has been mentioned in trade speculation ahead of Thursday’s deadline, but coach Michael Malone recently dismissed the notion.
Jokic added 10 assists and eight rebounds for the short-handed Nuggets, who were missing Russell Westbrook (hamstring) and Peyton Watson (knee). Aaron Gordon matched a career best with 12 assists.
In Minneapolis, Anthony Edwards scored 49 points, including 20 in the third quarter, as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the short-handed Chicago Bulls, 127-108.
Edwards hit six 3-pointers and was 17 of 18 from the free-throw line and also added nine rebounds. He tied Kevin Garnett for the second-most 30-point games and tied Karl-Anthony Towns for the most 40-point games in team history.
Naz Reid had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Rudy Gobert added 10 points and 15 rebounds.
