NBA-Highlights of Tuesday's NBA games

Dec 23 (The Sports Xchange) - Highlights of Tuesday's National Basketball Association games: - - - Cavaliers 125, Timberwolves 104 In their first meeting since headlining one of the NBA's highest-profile off-season trades, Andrew Wiggins outshone Kevin Love by scoring 27 points but Cleveland took the spoils, pulling away late in the third quarter to rout Minnesota. The victory was Cleveland's fourth in a five-game homestand before their eagerly anticipated Christmas showdown in Miami. Kyrie Irving scored 17 of his game-leading 29 points in the second half for Cleveland, while LeBron James had 24 points, four rebounds and three assists. Love chipped in with 20 points. - - - Lakers 115, Warriors 105 One of the worst in the Western Conference beat the NBA team with the best record as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors, despite playing without guard and leading scorer Kobe Bryant. The Lakers, who trail only the Minnesota Timberwolves for mediocrity in the West, snapped a three-game losing streak and defeated the Warriors for the first time in five meetings. Bryant missed the game due to fatigue, but the Lakers did not miss a beat without him, building a double-digit lead in the first quarter and keeping Golden State at bay. - - - Bulls 99, Wizards 91 Guard Derrick Rose scored eight of his game-high 25 points over the final 3 1/2 minutes for a victorious Chicago. Forward Pau Gasol had 18 points for the Bulls, who earned their fourth consecutive victory and won for the seventh time in eight games. - - - Magic 100, Celtics 95 Tobias Harris scored 19 points to help Orlando snap a four-game losing streak. Forward Kyle O'Quinn had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and center Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando. The Celtics were led by center Tyler Zeller, with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and guard Avery Bradley, who scored 20 points. - - - Suns 124, Mavericks 115 Guard Goran Dragic had 12 of his 25 points in the second quarter as Phoenix pulled away in the second half to win their fourth straight game, beating Dallas. Eric Bledsoe added his second career triple-double, and second this month, with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Suns, who had lost three straight and four of five at US Airways Center. - - - Pacers 96, Pelicans 84 Guard George Hill, who missed the season's first 28 games with a knee injury, returned to lead Indiana to victory over New Orleans. Hill scored 15 points, center Roy Hibbert added 14, and forwards Solomon Hill and David West each added 13. - - - Nets 102, Nuggets 96 Forward Joe Johnson scored 27 points as Brooklyn beat Denver. Johnson made 11-of-19 shots and hit three clutch shots in the fourth quarter. It was Johnson's eighth game with at least 20 points. - - - 76ers 91, Heat 87 Philadelphia, owners of the worst record in the NBA, rallied from a 23-point, third-quarter deficit to defeat Miami. The 76ers received a team-high 20 points from point guard Michael Carter-Williams en route to their second consecutive win. - - - Hawks 107, Clippers 104 Forward DeMarre Carroll scored 17 of his career-high 25 points in the second half to lead Atlanta to its fifth straight win. Carroll made 9-of-12 shots and helped Atlanta overcome a 13-point second-half deficit. He also had 10 rebounds. - - - Hornets 108, Bucks 101 Point guard Kemba Walker scored 27 points and shooting guard Gerald Henderson added 20 as Charlotte extended its winning streak to a season-high four games with a 108-101 victory over Milwaukee. Charlotte, which had won each of its previous three games by at least 18 points, pulled away with a sterling third quarter. The Hornets shot just under 50 percent for the game but hit 11- of-17 in the quarter. - - - Trail Blazers 115, Thunder 111 (OT) Damian Lillard scored 40 points, including a game-tying three-pointer near the end of regulation, to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to an overtime victory over Oklahoma City. The win pushed the Blazers to 23-7 on the season. The Thunder, who let a 13-point lead with five minutes left in regulation slip away, dropped to 13-16 with their third straight defeat. (Editing by Cameron French/John O'Brien)