James scores 37 as Cavs beat Thunder

LOS ANGELES – Agence France-Presse

LeBron James scored 17 of his 37 points in the third quarter as the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers outgunned the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-112 on Feb. 13 night.

Cleveland held strong in the third quarter then took command in the fourth to post their second consecutive win since trading for George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance.

“We came in with a great game plan and we executed,” said James.

Four wins in a row

They are 4-0 in their last four contests and Feb. 13’s performance was a huge improvement from their last game against the Thunder.

J.R. Smith added 18 points and drained six three pointers for the Cavaliers, who lost to the Thunder 148-124 on January 20 with a very different roster.

Elsewhere, DeMar DeRozan poured in a team-high 27 points, while Kyle Lowry added 22 as the Toronto Raptors survived a late rally from the Miami Heat to win their sixth straight game.

The Raptors improved to 40-16 on the season and increased their lead over the Boston Celtics to one game for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

In Minneapolis, James Harden had 34 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, and the Houston Rockets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-108 for their ninth straight victory.