Irving Drops 40 – NBA Roundup For January 23rd

UNDATED (AP) __ In what could be a possible preview of the NBA Western Conference finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away in the third quarter and beat the L.A. Clippers 109-97. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32. Russell Westbrook added 26.

The victory moves the Thunder a game ahead of San Antonio and a game and a-half ahead of the Clippers in the race for best record in the West.

Blake Griffin had a big game for the Clippers with 31 points and 11 rebounds. The Clippers played without All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who missed his fourth straight game with a bruised kneecap.

In other NBA action:

— Kyrie Irving scored 15 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, including several key late baskets, to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 95-90 victory over the Boston Celtics. That's one shy of his career high set against the Knicks on Dec. 15.

— Ersan Ilyasova had 27 points and 16 rebounds, Brandon Jennings scored 25 points and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 110-102.

__Brandon Knight led Detroit with 18 points in Detroit's 105-90 win over Orlando. J.J. Redick had 26 for the Magic.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to trade three players and a future first-round draft pick to Cleveland for Jon Leuer (LOOR'). The players the Cavs are getting are Marreese Speights (muh-REES' spaytz), Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby.

The trade is the first big move by the Grizzlies' new ownership and gets Memphis under the luxury tax threshold this season. The Grizzlies rank fourth in the West and are 6-4 over their past 10 games after the NBA's best start this season.

The deal gives the lottery-bound Cavs another first-round pick to improve a team with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.