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Kuzma’s big fourth quarter lifts Lakers over rival Celtics

Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson, right, shoots as Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles • Kyle Kuzma scored 17 of his 28 points in a phenomenal fourth quarter, and the surging Los Angeles Lakers sent the Boston Celtics to their fourth consecutive loss, 108-107 Tuesday night.

Jordan Clarkson scored 22 points in the sixth consecutive home win by the Lakers, who have won three straight and seven of nine overall during their best stretch of the season. Los Angeles nearly gave it away by missing four free throws in the final 20 seconds, but Marcus Smart missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics.

Kyrie Irving scored 33 points for the Celtics, who opened a four-game road trip by extending their longest losing streak in nearly two years.

Kuzma hit five 3-pointers and dominated down the stretch before Irving and Smart, who added 22 points, led the Celtics back.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed two free throws for Los Angeles with 5.7 seconds left, but Smart’s final miss over Caldwell-Pope’s defense allowed Los Angeles to snap a four-game losing streak in this hallowed NBA rivalry.

Kuzma, the Lakers’ impressive rookie forward from Utah, had his best offensive game of the month. He put the Lakers ahead during a 3 ½-minute stretch of the fourth quarter with 13 points and a behind-the-back assist to Larry Nance Jr. for a dunk that brought Staples Center to its feet.

Spurs 114, Cavaliers 102 • in San Antonio, LeBron James became the youngest player ever with 30,000 career points, but LaMarcus Aldridge scored 30 points to lift the San Antonio Spurs over the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers 114-102 on Tuesday night.

James had 28 points while becoming the seventh member of the 30,000-point club, yet he couldn't keep the Cavaliers from dropping their 10th in 13 games.

Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray — friend and mentee of James — had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals in his second start since replacing a healthy Tony Parker. Murray soared for a tip follow and then rose to disrupt James' driving layup, which led to a 3-pointer by Danny Green that gave the Spurs a 105-94 lead with 4:20 remaining.

After missing his first two midrange jumpers and a pair of free throws, James made two driving layups and a 20-footer, and then rose above Danny Green for a 19-foot jumper with one second remaining in the first quarter to reach the mark. The shot put Cleveland up 29-25.

At 33 years and 24 days, James is the youngest player to get 30,000. Bryant was 34 years and 104 days when he got there.

Thunder 109, Nets 108 • In Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook made a go-ahead layup with 3.3 seconds left to help Oklahoma City rally from a 15-point second-half deficit and beat Brooklyn.

The lead changed hands six times in the final 2:23. Brooklyn went ahead 108-107 on a driving layup by Spencer Dinwiddie with 7.8 seconds left, but Westbrook answered with his own. After three timeouts, Dinwiddie missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer, with the Thunder's Andre Roberson guarding him closely.

Westbrook had 32 points and Paul George had 28 with nine rebounds. George was left off the NBA All-Star roster earlier in the day.

Joe Harris led the Nets with 19 points while Dinwiddie and DeMarre Carroll had 13 each. The Nets ended a two-game winning streak, matching their longest of the season.

Kings 105, Magic 99 • In Orlando, Fla., Garrett Temple scored 19 of his career-high 34 points in the fourth quarter to lift Sacramento over Orlando.

Willie Cauley-Stein had 21 points and nine rebounds and Buddy Hield added 13 points for the Kings, who stopped an eight-game losing streak. Temple accounted for all of Sacramento's points during a 17-6 run that put the Kings ahead 103-97 with 23.5 seconds to go.

Evan Fournier led the Magic with 22 points and Elfrid Payton had 21 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Aaron Gordon added 16 and Jonathon Simmons had 14 for Orlando, which struggled mightily to score in the final quarter.

Golden State 123, Knicks 112 • In Oakland, Calif., Stephen Curry scored 17 of his 32 points in the third quarter to go with seven assists and six rebounds, and Golden State used a big second half to beat New York Knicks.

Kevin Durant added 14 points, a career-high 14 assists and two blocks before his ejection with 2:50 left for a second technical. Zaza Pachulia added 13 points in Golden State’s seventh straight victory in the series.

Curry made 8 of 15 from deep while sporting sneakers featuring the faces of his daughters Riley and Ryan and the message “I can do all things.”

The Warriors bounced back from Saturday’s eight-point defeat at Houston to improve to 10-0 following a loss this season.

Michael Beasley scored 21 points and Courtney Lee contributed 20 as New York lost for the third time in four games and sixth in eight.