NBA schedule and results: Spurs hold off Pistons, Cavaliers beat Mavericks in overtime

The Mavericks gave a valiant effort. Wesley Johnson hit big shots down the stretch and Deron Williams played Irving tightly. There was 13 lead changes in the fourth quarter and overtime.

In the end, it came down to the Cavaliers’ two stars: James and Irving. They didn’t disappoint.

Leading by one in overtime, LeBron James found himself wide open from 14 feet after a defender fell down. He had time to regroup, gather himself and take an easy jumper. He chose a different option.

Turning down a wide open 14-foot shot for a 27-footer with a defender running at Irving. That is typically a really terrible decision that somehow worked perfectly with Irving coming through and burying the shot. James has never been shy about turning down a shot to pass to a teammate, but this may be taking it a little far.

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Anthony returned to start the second half after retaping his injured ankle, but was slowed on the court. Unable to move properly, he exited the game and returned to the locker room. Shortly thereafter, the Knicks broadcast team announced that Anthony would not return due to a sprained ankle. His X-rays were negative.

Anthony has been playing great basketball as of late, leading the Knicks to new heights with great passing and leadership. The veteran is averaging 21.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game this season. Heading into the matchup with the Celtics on Tuesday, the Knicks were 19-20 having won four of their last five games.

Now, a return to the NBA is on his mind. “He is looking forward to playing in the D-League and showing teams what he is capable of,” Davis’ agent, Todd Ramasar, told Yahoo! Sports. “He feels that the timing is right. More than anything Baron has put in the training and is confident in his body. He feels he is ready to return to the NBA.”

Davis showed he hadn’t lost much in the Drew League in Los Angeles this past summer. The path back to the NBA won’t be easy, but Davis is at least at a starting point.

And at times it was from a lack of effort and not getting back on defense after a missed shot.

The Bulls don’t need to panic. They’ve already hit a few roadblocks this season. They can, and likely will, rebound from this. But the Bulls have to be disappointed they didn’t take advantage of the run they were on. They could have created some separation from the rest of the East.