LeBron James and the Cavaliers are starting to play their best basketball at the right time.
Playing against the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors Wednesday night, James led Cleveland to a 132-129 exciting home win. James scored 35 points with 17 assists and zero turnovers. In doing so, James became the first player with at least 35 points, 15 assists and no turnovers in a game since turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78.
LeBron James is the third player in past 10 seasons to record 17 (or more) assists without a turnover in a game.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 22, 2018
Chris Paul did it twice during the 2016-17 season.
Rajon Rondo did it twice (once in 2010, once in 2014). pic.twitter.com/vGJQg1QdXl
Kevin Love, playing in just his second game back from injury, scored 23 points with 12 rebounds in 30 minutes. More importantly, Love and James have displayed excellent camaraderie since his return.
The Cavaliers, also helped by 22 points from George Hill, have now won four of their last five games, as they look to rally through the sluggish Eastern Conference once again.
Kyle Lowry led the Raptors with 24 points, and DeMar DeRozan added 21 points, but Toronto couldn't find the late push they needed, getting outscored 34-30 in the final quarter. Toronto (53-19) has now lost two of its last three games, but remains 4 1/2 games ahead of the Celtics in the East.
Stud of the Night:
Hornets center Dwight Howard became just the fifth NBA player to score at least 30 points and grab at least 30 rebounds in a game Wednesday during a 111-105 win over the Nets. Howard scored 32 points with 30 rebounds, joining Kevin Love, Moses Malone, Robert Parish and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to accomplish the feat.
Dud of the Night:
The Bucks: Not only did they lose 127-120 at home against the Clippers, they also lost Giannis Antetokounmpo to a sprained ankle after just 17 minutes of action. Milwaukee has now lost nine of its last 13 games, slipping to eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Highlight:
Don't sleep on Kelly Oubre Jr.:
What's Next:
Lakers (31-39) at Pelicans (42-30) 8:00 p.m. ET — Los Angeles, led by its group of young up-and-comers, have hung around this season. Rookies Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma have developed alongside Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram to give the Lakers hope for the future. New Orleans remains in playoff contention despite losing DeMarcus Cousins for the season last month. Anthony Davis has been on a tear since Cousins' injury.
