Chicago Bulls' forward Pau Gasol (C) tries to control the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers' defenders Timofey Mozgov (L), Tristan Thompson (back) and LeBron James in the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena Monday. — Reuters CLEVELAND — LeBron James scored 26 points and Kyrie Irving added 18 points and 12 assists Monday as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the short-handed Chicago Bulls 108-94 Monday. All five Cleveland starters scored in double figures and Irving, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov had double-doubles for the Cavs, who won their third straight after a six-game NBA losing streak. Love, back after a one-game absence because of back spasms, scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, while Mozgov, a Russian center acquired this month from Denver, added 15 points and 15 rebounds. J.R. Smith chipped in with 20 points for Cleveland. The Cavaliers, who endured an erratic start to the season adjusting to the return of four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James after four seasons in Miami, never trailed. They led 24-19 after the first quarter and 54-39 at halftime. Cleveland stretched the advantage to as many as 25 points in the third quarter. The Bulls managed to narrow the gap to 12 early in the fourth, but Chicago's miscues doomed any hopes of a rally. In addition to a dismal 37.5 shooting percentage, the Bulls saw Spanish center Pau Gasol drop a rebound out of bounds and backup guard Tony Snell throw a pass with no clear recipient that ended up hitting Cavs coach David Blatt. With the win, the Cavaliers improved to 3-1 since James returned from a two-week absence with knee and back injuries. Hawks 93, Pistons 82: Guard Mike Scott came off the bench to score 20 points as the Atlanta Hawks extended their winning streak to 13 games with a 93-82 win over the Detroit Pistons. The Hawks (34-8) moved within one win of matching a club record for consecutive victories. Clippers 102, Celtics 93: Forward Blake Griffin scored 22 points and recorded nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers held off a late charge by the Boston Celtics for a 102-93 victory. Boston pulled within three points with 3:50 left but got no closer to slide to their 24th consecutive road loss against a Western Conference team. Warriors 122, Nuggets 79: Guards Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry combined for 42 points and the Golden State Warriors won their 16th consecutive home game, 122-79 over the Denver Nuggets. The Warriors matched their all-time franchise record for consecutive home wins, set initially as the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959, and their 43-point margin of victory was the largest of the season. Mavericks 103, Grizzlies 95: Guard Monta Ellis scored 25 points and handed out seven assists as the Dallas Mavericks posted a 103-95 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, whose four-game winning streak ended. Rockets 110, Pacers 98: James Harden scored a season-high 45 points, including 18 in the third quarter, lifting the Houston Rockets to a 110-98 victory over the Indiana Pacers, who trailed throughout and lost their fifth game in a row. Knicks 99, Pelicans 92: Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points as the New York Knicks halted a franchise-worst 16-game losing streak with a 99-92 win over a New Orleans Pelicans team missing injured forward Anthony Davis. Hornets 105, Timberwolves 80: Guard Gerald Henderson scored 17 points and the Charlotte Hornets routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-80 for their seventh win in eight games. In other games it was: Wizards 111, 76ers 76; Trail Blazers 98, Kings 94; Raptors 92, Bucks 89; Suns 115, Lakers 100. — Agencies
