Bulls also get back to winning ways as Rose and Gasol return…
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The Cleveland Cavaliers brought an end to their four-game losing skid on Monday night with a win over the Orlando Magic with LeBron James leading the charge.
James had 29 points and 11 assists and sparked his team to the win after labelling them as “fragile” following disappointing losses to the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors.
“I’m my biggest critic,” James said. “I wasn’t happy with my play the last week. No one puts any more pressure on me than myself. You go out and you just don’t talk about it, you show it too.”
The 74 points scored by Orlando were the fewest that they had scored this season and a season-low allowed by the Cavs as they improved on the defensive end to make their work on the other end of the court easier as they now improve to 6-7.
The Chicago Bulls were also winners on Monday as Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol returned to the line-up against the Utah Jazz.
Rose had 18 points after missing the previous four games with a hamstring strain while Gasol added 23 points and nine rebounds after being sidelined with a calf problem.
Jimmy Butler continued his strong start to the season with a game-high 25 points as the Bulls beat the Jazz for the ninth time in the last 12 games despite a late rally ensuring it was a close encounter.
Nevertheless, the Toronto Raptors continue to lead the way in the Eastern Conference as they moved to 12-2 for the season after a win over the Phoenix Suns.
Jonas Valanciunas had 27 points and 11 rebounds in a huge performance for the hosts, while Eric Bledsoe filled up the stat sheet with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. However, the Suns guard wasn’t enough to push the visitors to the win as they slip to 9-6.
In perhaps the shock of the night, the Indiana Pacers travelled to the Dallas Mavericks and got the win with Donald Sloan scoring 29 points as they stunned their hosts.
There were also wins for the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets over the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks respectively, while the Portland Trail Blazers made it eight straight wins with a commanding victory over the Philadelphia 76ers/
NBA Results
Los Angeles Clippers 113-92 Charlotte Hornets
Orlando Magic 74-106 Cleveland Cavaliers
Portland Trail Blazers 114-104 Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns 100-104 Toronto Raptors
New York Knicks 86-91 Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers 111-100 Dallas Mavericks
Chicago Bulls 97-95 Utah Jazz
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