James records 10th triple-double, Lakers beat Nets 128-113

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in his 10th triple-double of the season and the Los Angeles Lakers made a season-high 19 3-pointers to pull away and beat the Brooklyn Nets 128-113 on Thursday night.

James closed within 17 points of Kobe Bryant for third place on the NBA’s career scoring list with a flurry in the fourth quarter. He can pass Bryant on Saturday at Philadelphia, where the five-time champion with the Lakers was born.

James has 33,626 points. Bryant finished with 33,643.

A back-and-forth game for nearly three quarters turned into a rout after the Lakers broke the Nets’ spirits with four straight 3-pointers spanning the third and fourth quarters, extending a one-point lead to 107-94, and Los Angeles coasted from there.

Anthony Davis had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Dwight Howard finished with 14 points and 12 boards in his first start of the season.

Kyrie Irving scored 20 points after missing a game with right hamstring tightness, but the Nets lost their fifth straight. Brooklyn has won just two of its last 14 games.

WIZARDS 124, CAVALIERS 112

CLEVELAND (AP) — Bradley Beal scored 36 points and weary Washington, overcoming an overtime loss and early-morning arrival in town, defeated Cleveland.

The Wizards started slowly after not getting in until around 4 a.m. following an OT defeat in Miami on Wednesday, but took over late in the first quarter and pulled away.

Cleveland has lost six in a row and 11 of 13. The Cavaliers were coming off a 20-point home loss to New York and struggled against the Wizards, who are also at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Beal was 15 of 22 from the field and had eight assists in 29 minutes.

Davis Bertans and Ish Smith each scored 17 points while Isaiah Thomas had 13 for the Wizards.

Collin Sexton scored 29 points for Cleveland. Larry Nance Jr. had 22 and Kevin Love added 21.