Love on a scoring spree

LOS ANGELES — Kevin Love scored 34 first-quarter points, the second-most in any quarter in NBA history, on his way to a season-high 40 points Wednesday as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Portland 137-125. The 28-year-old power forward made eight 3-point shots in the opening quarter, joining his first-quarter point total as a club record, and he hit his first seven shots, six of them 3-pointers. “I had a good rhythm, made my first couple shots,” Love said. “And it was on from there.” The NBA record for points in any quarter remains the 37 points by Golden State’s Klay Thompson in the third period against Sacramento two seasons ago. LeBron James contributed 31 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his 44th career triple double as Cleveland improved to 11-2. The reigning NBA champion Cavaliers set NBA records for 3-pointers in a half with 16 in the first half and matched club records for points in a quarter with 46 and 3-pointers in a regular-season contest with 21. Love could have matched Thompson for the quarter-scoring mark but clanked a 3-point shot off the rim with 75 seconds remaining in the opening period. Love hit 8 of 10 shots from beyond the arc in the first quarter and 11 of 14 overall. He broke the prior Cavaliers one-quarter record of 24 points set by James but fell short of his one-game career-high 51 points. Damian Lillard had 40 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds to lead Portland. Clippers 124, Mavericks 104 Austin Rivers scored a team-high 22 points and Los Angeles got its season-long, six-game road trip off to a rollicking start with a demolition of Dallas. The Clippers are off to their best start in franchise history and left little doubt why against the Mavericks with a 68-point first half on 61.0 percent shooting from the field that included 64.3 percent — 9 of 14 -- from beyond the 3-point arc. Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki played his first game since missing the first eight of the season with an Achilles injury. He was on an undisclosed minutes limit and finished with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field and six rebounds in 20 minutes for the Mavericks (2-12), who own the NBA’s worst record. Spurs 119, Hornets 114 Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points and San Antonio remained unbeaten on the road by defeating Charlotte for the seventh straight victory overall. The Spurs are 8-0 on the road this season with the eight straight road wins tying a franchise record. LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 23 points and seven rebounds. Leonard was 14 for 21 from the field. Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Hawks 96, Pacers 85 Dwight Howard had 23 points and 20 rebounds and Paul Millsap added 18 points and 11 rebounds as Atlanta handed Indiana its third straight loss. The Hawks (10-5) bounced back from an 18-point Tuesday night home loss to New Orleans to dominate struggling Indiana, including 56-37 in rebounding. Thaddeus Young led the Pacers with 24 points and seven rebounds. Celtics 111, Nets 92 Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points and Boston Celtics pulled away in the fourth quarter for a victory over Brooklyn. Avery Bradley added 22 points and seven rebounds for the Celtics, who shot 45.9 percent. Al Horford contributed 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds as Boston won its third in a row since he returned from a concussion. Reserve Sean Kilpatrick scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half for the Nets, who never led and dropped their fifth straight. Other results: Pistons 107, Heat 84; Raptors 115, Rockets 102; Jazz 108, Nuggets 83; Grizzlies 104, 76ers 99 (2 OT); Suns 92, Magic 87; Pelicans 117, Timberwolves 96; Warriors 149, Lakers 106;Kings 116, Thunder 101.