LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 42 points with 12 assists, Deandre Ayton added 18 points with nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to four games with a 127-113 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
Austin Reaves scored 19 points, while LeBron James, Jake LaRavia and Rui Hachimura each had 14 as the Lakers won shortly after they clinched the Pacific Division title and a top-six spot in the Western
Conference playoffs when the Phoenix Suns lost at Orlando earlier Tuesday.
Doncic was 13 of 26 from the floor and had his 16th game of at least 40 points this season after he missed Monday’s victory over the Washington Wizards because of technical foul accumulation. James was a game-time decision with continued left foot soreness.
Jarrett Allen scored 18 points and James Harden added 17 in his first game in his hometown since he was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 4. Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell was held to 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
Thomas Bryant scored 14 points for the Cavaliers, who have already clinched a playoff spot. Cleveland lost for the second time in eight games since March 17 and dropped to 1-1 on a three-game road trip against Western Conference teams.
The Cavaliers led by seven late in the first quarter before the Lakers took charge to lead by as many as 15 in the second and went up 65-53 at halftime by shooting 53.2% from the floor.
Los Angeles led 86-66 midway through the third quarter and entered the fourth with a commanding 110-83 advantage.
The Lakers shot 54.2% from the floor in the game, while the Cavaliers shot 49.4%.
Los Angeles has now won 50 games in consecutive seasons for the first time since four consecutive from 2007-11.
Cavaliers: At Golden State on Thursday night.
Lakers: At Oklahoma City on Thursday night.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
