Cavaliers spoil LeBron’s first game since turning 40

LOS ANGELES:

Jarrett Allen scored a season-high 27 points, Donovan Mitchell added 26 and the Cleveland Cavaliers won their eighth straight, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 122-110 on Tuesday night and spoiling LeBron James' first game after turning 40.

James, who celebrated his birthday on Monday, scored 23 points as he became the first player in NBA history to appear in a game in his teens and 40s. Coincidentally, the milestone game came against the team that drafted James first overall in 2003 and where he spent 12 seasons in two stints.

The Akron, Ohio native helped lead the Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in 2016.

Evan Mobley added 20 points for Cleveland, which enter the new year with an NBA-best 29-4 record, including a 9-0 against the Western Conference.

Austin Reaves had a season-high 35 points with 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Lakers. Anthony Davis added 28 points and 13 rebounds.

Los Angeles go into 2025 with an 18-14 mark, seventh in the Western Conference.

TAKEAWAYS

Cavaliers: Sam Merrill sprained his right ankle during the second quarter and did not return. Darius Garland had a season-high 14 assists.

Lakers: Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton made their Los Angeles debut after being acquired in a trade with Brooklyn Nets on Monday. Milton scored six points and Finney-Smith two.

KEY MOMENT

Cleveland led 96-80 less than three minutes into the fourth quarter before Los Angeles started to rally. The Lakers got within 112-107 before the Cavaliers closed the game on a 10-3 run. Allen's dunk with 1:58 remaining gave Cleveland a 116-107 advantage, putting them out of reach.

The Cavaliers made 18 3-pointers, the seventh straight game they have had at least that many from beyond the arc.

The Cavaliers wrap up their road trip at Dallas tomorrow, while the Lakers host Portland today.

MEMPHIS WIN

Also on Tuesday night, Jaren Jackson Jr scored 38 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 117-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Desmond Bane scored 31 as the Grizzlies, playing without injured Ja Morant (right shoulder strain) and Zach Edey (concussion protocol), never trailed. Reserve Luke Kennard scored 17 points and John Konchar grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds as Memphis moved to 23-11, second in the Western Conference.

Devin Booker returned for Phoenix after missing five games with a left groin strain and had 16 points and nine assists. Kevin Durant led the Suns with 29 points and 10 rebounds.

THUNDER RALLY

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied to win their seventh straight game, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-105.

Isaiah Hartenstein added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Lu Dort and Jalen Williams each had 14 points for the Thunder (27-5), which trailed 52-46 at halftime before outscoring Minnesota 43-23 in the third quarter to take a double-digit lead.

Anthony Edwards had 20 points and seven rebounds to lead Minnesota (17-15). His two free throws with 2:03 left cut the Thunder lead to 106-103, but Gilgeous-Alexander answered with a three-pointer to reach the 40-point plateau for the third time in five games and extend the lead to 109-103.