Basketball: Short-handed Grizzlies account for Cavs

Mario Chalmers celebrates after scoring in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo / Getty Images

Tony Allen returned from a knee injury to score a season-high 26 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 106-103 victory despite playing short-handed in their NBA game Tuesday.

The Grizzlies were without five rotation players, including their three best, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Zach Randolph, yet they still managed to beat the best team the East. The Cavs committed a season-high 25 turnovers and didn't seem to fully engage until the fourth quarter.

Kemba Walker continued his torrid shooting, and the Charlotte Hornets won their fifth consecutive game with a 108-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Walker scored 34 points, his third straight game of 30-plus points and his 11th 30-point outburst of the season. He shot 12-for-20 from the field, hitting six of nine 3-point attempts.

Monta Ellis scored 26 points, including 21 in the second half, and the Indiana Pacers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 99-91.

The Spurs (53-10) had an eight-game winning streak snapped and were without coach Gregg Popovich, who was home with an ailing family member.

Paul George added 23 points for the Pacers (34-30), including two free throws with 15.7 seconds remaining to give Indiana a 97-91 lead.

Jimmy Butler didn't play, but the Chicago Bulls picked up the slack without their leading scorer to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 100-90 at the United Center.

Pau Gasol led the way for the Bulls (32-30) with his second triple-double of the season. Gasol, 35, finished with 12 points, 17 rebounds (all defensive) and 13 assists to help compensate for the loss of Butler, who had 24 points and 11 rebounds Sunday against the Houston Rockets in his return from a left knee sprain.

Dante Cunningham nailed a go-ahead 3-pointer from the right corner and guard Jrue Holiday hit a 17-foot jumper in the final 36 seconds to lift the New Orleans Pelicans to a 115-112 victory over the Sacramento Kings at the Smoothie King Center.

The Kings, who blew a 17-point, second-half lead, cut the New Orleans advantage to 113-112 with a layup by Rudy Gay with eight seconds left, but guard Norris Cole made two free throws to extend the Pelicans' lead to 115-112 with seven seconds remaining.

Chris Paul scored 23 of his game-high 27 points in the second half and he singlehandedly outscored the Dallas Mavericks in an explosive third quarter to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 109-90 victory at American Airlines Center.

The Clippers, now 14-3 in their last 17 road games, rode the hot shooting of J.J. Reddick and the interior dominance of DeAndre Jordan to stay close in the first half, and then the veteran All-Star point guard took over the game. Paul scored 18 points in the third quarter, while the Mavs managed just 16 in a game that actually had 18 ties and 16 lead changes.

The Golden State Warriors broke the NBA record for consecutive home-court victories, getting a combined 68 points from backcourt mates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in a hard-earned, 119-113 win over the Orlando Magic.

The Warriors' 27th straight win at Oracle Arena this season was their 45th in a row at home dating back to January 2015, allowing them to surpass the previous record of 44, set by the Chicago Bulls from March 30, 1995, to April 4, 1996.