LOS ANGELES — LeBron James produced 17 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a ninth straight home victory in a 123-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday. James’ tally of assists matched the best single-game total of his career, with the Cleveland star also leading the scoring with 25 points. The Cavs’ all-round offensive power and prowess from three-point range proved too much for Atlanta, who slumped to 6-21 with the loss. Cleveland had romped into a 24-point lead at one stage in the fourth quarter, and owed their victory to a season high tally of 20 three-pointers. Their previous best of 18 three-pointers in a game also came against the Hawks on November 30. The Cavaliers improved to 20-8 and have now won 15 of their last 16 games to keep the pressure on Eastern Conference pace-setters Boston. James was one of six Cavs players to crack double figures, with Kevin Love also having a big game that included 17 points and 12 rebounds. Kyle Korver came off the bench to score 19 points along with Jeff Green who had 17 points. Jose Calderon (14) and Jae Crowder (13) also chipped in. An even first quarter saw Atlanta hold their own at 31-31 before Cleveland cut loose in the second, outscoring the visitors 31-17 to surge into a 62-48 halftime lead. That second quarter burst ultimately proved decisive with the Cavs comfortably keeping Atlanta at arm’s length for the remainder of the game. Atlanta’s scoring was led by Taurean Prince with 22 points while Kent Bazemore had 20 points.NBA-Highlights of Tuesday’s NBA games Mavericks 95, Spurs 89: Kawhi Leonard made his long-anticipated season debut Tuesday and looked to be in mid-season form, although his San Antonio Spurs fell apart in the fourth quarter without him and lost to the Dallas Mavericks 95-89. The Spurs’ All-Star forward missed the first 27 games of the season because of a quad injury. He quickly displayed his all-around excellence, producing 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting and adding six rebounds, one assist, one steal and a block. Leonard did it all in 16 minutes as coach Gregg Popovich promised a gradual reintroduction. Leonard’s lone offensive rebound was a tip-out to himself that led to a bucket for a 55-50 San Antonio lead, and Popovich pulled him for good soon after. 76ers 118, Timberwolves 112 (OT): Joel Embiid had 28 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, and J.J. Redick scored 26 points as Philadelphia pulled out an overtime victory over Minnesota. Ben Simmons was held scoreless until 1:17 remained in regulation, but he ended up with seven points and eight assists for Philadelphia. The 76ers snapped a four-game losing streak by scoring the first six points of overtime and holding on in the back-and-forth game. Jimmy Butler scored a season-high 38 points for Timberwolves, who shot only 40.7 percent from the field. Karl-Anthony Towns had his league-leading 22nd double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds, and Andrew Wiggins scored 20 points for Minnesota. Knicks 113, Lakers 109 (OT): Kristaps Porzingis scored 37 points as New York emerged with an overtime victory over Los Angeles. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope paced the Lakers with 24 points. Los Angeles rookies Lonzo Ball (17 points, eight rebounds, six assists) and Kyle Kuzma (19 points) played well in their Madison Square Garden debuts. Nuggets 103, Pistons 84: Jamal Murray fired in 28 points and reserve Trey Lyles tossed in 20, leading Denver to the easy victory over slumping Detroit. Wilson Chandler scored 18 points, while Mason Plumlee supplied 10 points and a season-high 13 rebounds for the Nuggets, who never trailed. Gary Harris added eight points, six rebounds, nine assists and four steals. Nets 103, Wizards 98: Allen Crabbe shook off a rough shooting night to hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 44 seconds left as Brooklyn beat Washington. Crabbe was among seven Nets in double figures, finishing with 13 points. He shot 3 of 15 overall, 3 of 14 from 3-point range on a night when Brooklyn made 23.3 percent from long range. Bradley Beal led Washington with 28 points but only scored three points in the fourth quarter. He shot 11 of 33 and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. Kings 99, Suns 92: Zach Randolph scored 11 of his 17 points during the final five minutes, and his three-point play with 44.9 seconds left helped lift Sacramento past Phoenix. George Hill scored 18 points, and Buddy Hield contributed 14 points off the bench as Sacramento ended a three-game home losing streak. TJ Warren scored 18 points to lead the Suns, who have dropped four in a row and nine of their past 11. Reserve Mike James scored 17 points in 20 minutes, Tyler Ulis added 10 points, and Tyson Chandler had seven points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix. — Agencies