CLEVELAND — LeBron James couldn’t get to 30,000 career points and he and his Cleveland teammates couldn’t stop Paul George, Russell Westbrook or Carmelo Anthony as the Oklahoma City Thunder thumped the Cavaliers 148-124 on Saturday for their fourth straight win.

Oklahoma City tied the record for the most points scored against Cleveland in a regulation game. Philadelphia scored 148 in 1972.

George scored 36, Westbrook had 23 points and 20 assists, and Anthony scored a season-high 29 as the Thunder embarrassed the Eastern Conference champs, whose defensive issues aren’t improving. Cleveland has lost 10 of 14.

James finished with 18 points and is seven shy of becoming the seventh player in NBA history to reach 30,000. His next chance is Tuesday when the Cavs visit San Antonio.

James entered the fourth within reach of 30,000. But after he missed two shots, he was replaced with 6:37 remaining and the Cavs trailing 128-101. The 33-year-old wanted to make history in front of his home fans and family, but it wasn’t to be.

Oklahoma City center Steven Adams scored 25 points on 12-of-13 shooting.

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Cavaliers center Kevin Love only played three minutes because he was sick.

BULLS 113, HAWKS 97: Robin Lopez scored 20 points, Lauri Markkanen added 19 and Chicago easily won in Atlanta.

The Bulls have won four of five. They never trailed, taking an 11-point lead midway through the first quarter on Lopez’s dunk and going up 17 on Markkanen’s dunk in the closing seconds of the first half.

PELICANS 111, GRIZZLIES 104: Jrue Holiday scored 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, DeMarcus Cousins had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and New Orleans won at home.

HEAT 106, HORNETS 105: Kelly Olynyk scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, including a free throw with 0.2 seconds left, to help Miami erase a five-point deficit in the final 34 seconds and stun the Hornets at Charlotte, North Carolina.

76ERS 116, BUCKS 94: Joel Embiid had 29 points and nine rebounds and host Philadelphia pulled away from undermanned Milwaukee for its seventh win in eight games, passing the Bucks for sixth place in the East.

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NOTES

CELTICS: Boston signed forward Jarell Eddie, who has played 31 NBA games over two seasons with Washington and Phoenix, to a 10-day contract.

Eddie has played in 10 games with the Windy City Bulls of the G League this season, averaging 17.2 points in 32.2 minutes.

BUCKS: Milwaukee leading scorer Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the next two games to rest a sore right knee.


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