Tony Parker

San Antonio Spurs cruise past Cleveland Cavaliers, rest key players in fourth

Spurs 125, Cavs 90

CLEVELAND — Danny Green scored 19 points against a Cleveland team that released him last season, Tony Parker added 19 and San Antonio coasted to its eighth straight win, 125-90, over the Cavaliers on Tuesday night.

Green played his rookie season for Cleveland, which cut him at the end of training camp in 2011. He’s found a new home with the Spurs, who built a 22-point lead in the first half and rested Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili for most of the fourth quarter while pushing their lead to 37.

Rookie Kyrie Irving scored 13 points for the Cavs in his return after missing one game with a sprained right shoulder.

Cleveland has lost eight in a row, 11 of 12 and been outscored by 72 points in its past two home games. Antawn Jamison led the Cavs with 15 points.

The Spurs began a 16-games-in-23-days stretch to finish the lockout-shortened regular season, a grueling finish before the playoffs for any team, and especially for one with so many veterans.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich wants to rest his regulars as much as possible and a date with the Cavs provided the perfect opportunity to sit his starters.

“It’s a little bit more difficult than the normal season,” Popovich said before the game of managing minutes. “We’ve always played our guys less than most teams, so it’s a little bit more emphasis than usual.”

Duncan and Parker played only 23 minutes and Ginobli 18, giving the Spurs’ “Big Three” a chance to get ready for tonight’s game in Boston.

Reserve guard Patty Mills scored a season-high 20 for San Antonio, which has won 11 of 12 and taken a comfortable hold on the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference behind Oklahoma City.

Raptors 92, Bobcats 87

TORONTO — Andrea Bargnani scored 30 points and DeMar DeRozan had 20 as Toronto beat Charlotte, snapping a six-game losing streak to the lowly Bobcats.

Linas Kleiza scored 18 points and Jose Calderon added 11 assists and Toronto won back-to-back games for the first time since road victories at Phoenix on Jan. 24 and Utah on Jan. 25. the Raptors had gone 0-10 in games following victories since those wins.

Toronto, which beat Washington 99-92 on Sunday night, posted consecutive home wins for the first time since Dec. 1 and 3, 2010.

Byron Mullens had 20 points and 14 rebounds and D.J. Augustin scored 18 points and Charlotte lost its eighth straight. the Bobcats have not won since a home victory over the Raptors on March 17.

Pacers 112, Knicks 104

INDIANAPOLIS — Danny Granger scored 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, and Indiana rallied from 17 points down in the second half to beat new York.

The Pacers outscored the Knicks 40-17 in the final 12 minutes.

Carmelo Anthony scored a season-high 39 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Knicks.

Heat 99, 76ers 93

MIAMI — LeBron James scored a season-high 41 points, Mario Chalmers added 19 and Miami clinched a playoff spot with a win over Philadelphia.

James scored 14 straight Miami points in the fourth quarter, helping the Heat finish off a four-game season sweep of Philadelphia and extend their home-court winning streak to 16 games. Chris Bosh scored 17 points and Udonis Haslem grabbed 11 rebounds for Miami, which won despite Dwyane Wade sitting out with a bruised left knee.

Pistons 102, Magic 95

DETROIT — Greg Monroe had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Detroit beat depleted Orlando.

Ben Gordon added 18 points for the Pistons. Jason Maxiell and Tayshaun Prince had 15 each, and Jonas Jerebko contributed 13.

Glen Davis, who started at center in place of the injured Dwight Howard, led Orlando with a career-high 31.

The Magic have lost four straight, equaling their longest skid of the season.