Short-handed Cavs survive Pelicans

CLEVELAND – Injuries and illnesses aren’t slowing down the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James scored 26 points while playing with a case of the flu that’s been going around the team, and the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 90-82 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving missed his second straight game because of tightness in his right hamstring as Cleveland dressed only 10 players.

Kevin Love scored 12 points with 11 rebounds despite playing only 24 minutes because of food poisoning. Coach Tyronn Lue said Love, who spent the final minutes in the locker room, lost 10 pounds in the last few days.

In Chicago, Jimmy Butler scored 52 points and outdueled Kemba Walker, carrying the Bulls to a 118-111 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

Butler was a point shy of his career high, which he got Jan. 14, 2016 at Philadelphia. He scored 20 points in the first half and 17 in the game’s final four minutes.

“It’s an understatement to say he was phenomenal. He did it in any which way,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He just took what the defense gave him and obviously made huge plays down the stretch.”

Butler also had 12 rebounds and six assists while shooting 21 of 22 from the free-throw line. He has scored at least 25 points in four straight games, and his performance Monday surpassed his previous season high of 40 points, which he notched Wednesday against Brooklyn.

In other results, Milwaukee edged Oklahoma, 98-94; Utah trounced Brooklyn, 101-89; Orlando smothered New York, 115-103; Houston blasted Washington, 101-91; the Los Angeles Clippers bounced back with a 104-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns; and the Golden State Warriors rolled past the Denver Nuggets, 127-119.

Back in Cleveland, the defending NBA champions, who have won 13 of 15, managed to persevere despite the obstacles.

“As ugly as it was tonight, you have to find a way to get through it,” said James, who scored six straight points and blocked a shot over a late 1:47 stretch to seal the Cavaliers’ eight win in nine games.

After Buddy Hield hit two free throws to pull the Pelicans to 84-82 with 2:56 remaining, James went to work, hitting four foul shots and a jumper.

Anthony Davis scored 20 points with 17 rebounds for the Pelicans, whose four-game winning streak came to an end.

Cleveland erased a 10-point deficit late in the third quarter and took a 73-71 lead on a basket by rookie Kay Felder, who scored eight points in the fourth. Felder and Iman Shumpert each finished with 12 points while Channing Frye – another flu victim – scored 14.

“No excuses, no matter what’s going on with the team,” James said. “Has to be next man up. When a guy’s number is called he has to be ready to go.”

The Cavaliers were also without Mike Dunleavy (sprained right ankle), J.R. Smith (fractured right thumb) and Chris Andersen (torn ACL in right knee). The injuries and assortment of bugs caused Lue to cancel the team’s morning shoot-around.

James and Davis, who was scoreless in the fourth quarter, tumbled into the courtside seats chasing a loose ball late in the hotly contested game. The Pelicans’ star blamed himself for the loss.

“When we need buckets, the team relies on me – and I didn’t deliver,” said Davis, who was 10 of 27 from the field. “We just have to make open shots, mainly myself. It’s on me. I’ve got to play better.”

James moved past Dominique Wilkins for 14th place on the all-time field goals made list (9,972).

                (AP)