Philadelphia: LeBron James and Tim Duncan both reached career milestones in the NBA on Monday as they led their teams to wins.
James scored 22 points to become the youngest player to reach 25,000 career points as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the winless Philadelphia 76ers 107-100.
The 30-year-old James became the sixth active player to reach the mark, joining San Antonio’s Duncan, Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett, Los Angeles’ Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce of the Clippers.
He also had 11 assists and nine rebounds to rally the Cavs in the second half against a scrappy Philly team that had built a 15-point lead.
Duncan, meanwhile, had 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead San Antonio past the New York Knicks 94-84 — his NBA-record 954th victory with one team. He passed Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton, who went 953-551 with the Utah Jazz. Duncan, in his 19th season with the Spurs, is 954-381. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 19 points and Kawhi Leonard had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs.
In other games, Stephen Curry scored 21 of his 30 points in an emphatic third-quarter stretch as the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player followed up his 53-point performance from three days earlier with another sold game to lead unbeaten Golden State past Memphis 119-69.
Curry did not play in the fourth quarter after shooting 10 for 16 and hitting four 3-pointers to give him 21 through four games.
The Grizzlies starters combined to shoot 11 for 46, led by Marc Gasol’s 13 points. They were outscored 72-27 over the second and third quarters.
In Houston, James Harden scored 37 points as the Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 110-105 for their first win of the season.
It was the first loss for the Thunder, who won their first three games while the Rockets dropped their first three.
Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 29 points, and Russell Westbrook added 25 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists.
Los Angeles’ Blake Griffin had 22 points and 10 rebounds as the unbeaten Clippers hung on down the stretch for a 102-96 victory over Phoenix.
The Clippers are off to a 4-0 start for the fourth time in team history and the first time since winning the first five games of the 1985-86 season, their second in Los Angeles after relocating from San Diego. They beat Phoenix for the eighth straight time to extend their longest winning streak in the rivalry’s 46-year history.
In Minneapolis, Damian Lillard had 34 points and seven assists as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Timberwolves 106-101 after Minnesota honoured fallen coach Flip Saunders with an emotional pregame tribute.
Kevin Martin scored 24 points and Ricky Rubio had 12 points, nine assists and nine rebounds for the Timberwolves two days after Saunders’ funeral.
Milwaukee’s Jerryd Bayless scored 26 points as the Bucks beat winless Brooklyn 103-96 for their first victory of the season.
