By ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND (AP) — Darius Garland scored a season-high 40 points, Jarrett Allen had 18 points and 15 rebounds, and the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors, 132-126, on Thursday night, Jan. 9, to extend their win streak to 12.
Evan Mobley finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Cavaliers, who are tied for the fifth-best record in league history through 37 games at 33-4. Cleveland also has the top home mark in the NBA, going 20-1 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Scottie Barnes had 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for Toronto, which is a league-worst 1-17 on the road and has lost 15 of its last 16 overall. Chris Boucher added 23 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell was given the night off after playing a team-high 35 minutes Wednesday in a 129-122 win over the Thunder. West leader Oklahoma City had won a franchise-record 15 in a row.
Boucher and rookie Jamal Shead combined to make 12 of their first 13 shots, including all eight 3-pointers, as Toronto built a 93-81 lead midway through the third quarter. Shead didn’t play in the fourth and finished with 15 points.
Coach Kenny Atkinson said wrapping up a back-to-back set against the Raptors was “a perfect trap game.” Cleveland’s players didn’t take the message to heart until the final quarter, when they outscored Toronto 34-23.
Meanwhile in Detroit, Buddy Hield scored 19 points, helping the Golden State Warriors hold on for a 107-104 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Golden State earned a much-needed victory after dropping two straight games at home, losing by 16 points to Miami and getting routed by 30 points against Sacramento.
It wasn’t easy.
The Warriors led by 18, but Malik Beasley missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer that could have sent the game to overtime.
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had 32 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Beasley scored 21 points, missing 10 of his 14 3-pointers.
In Phoenix, Bradley Beal scored 25 points, Kevin Durant added 23 and the Suns beat the Atlanta Hawks 123-115.
Beal — still adjusting to his new role coming off the bench — shot 11 of 16 from the field in one of his most efficient games this season. Devin Booker added 20 points and 12 assists despite shooting 0 of 8 from 3-point range.
Beal made a driving layup just before the third quarter buzzer to give the Suns a 98-92 lead heading into the fourth.
In Salt Lake City, Tyler Herro scored 23 points and Jaime Jaquez had 20, including five in the final 1:03, to lead the Miami Heat to a 97-92 victory over the Utah Jazz.
In a ragged game with 31 combined turnovers and both teams shooting under 40%, the Heat made the most of transition points (17-7) and hustle plays when it mattered.
Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen each scored 23 for Utah, which has lost nine in a row at home.
