Josh Hart posted his second straight triple-double and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds for the third consecutive game Wednesday night as the undermanned New York Knicks pulled away from the visiting Utah Jazz in a 119-103 victory.
The Knicks extended their winning streak to nine games despite the absence of star point guard Jalen Brunson (calf), who missed a game for the first time this season, and backup guard Miles McBride, who was slated to start for Brunson before he was scratched due to a tight left hamstring.
Hart didn’t score until the final seconds of the first half yet still finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. Towns had 31 points and 21 rebounds as he became just the third Knicks player in team history — joining Hall of Famers Bob McAdoo and Patrick Ewing — to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in three consecutive games.
Collin Sexton and reserve Jordan Clarkson scored 25 points apiece for the Jazz, who raced out to an 18-8 lead before taking their fifth straight loss. Lauri Markkanen (16 points, 10 rebounds) posted a double-double, though he shot just 6-for-22 from the field and 1-for-10 from 3-point range.
Kings 113, 76ers 107
Clutch plays by Malik Monk capped a furious finish that allowed host Sacramento to overtake Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia.
Monk was credited with a basket on a goaltended layup to break a tie with 33.8 seconds remaining. He teamed with DeMar DeRozan for four clinching free throws. Sacramento scored the final 15 points of the game to pull out its second consecutive victory.
Hitting 13 of his 16 shots, De’Aaron Fox led the way for the Kings with 35 points, while Domantas Sabonis snatched a game-high 21 rebounds to go with 17 points and a game-high seven assists. Eric Gordon had 14 points, Caleb Martin 12 and Andre Drummond 10 to complement a team-high nine rebounds for the 76ers.
Raptors 130, Nets 113
Scottie Barnes had 33 points and 13 rebounds as Toronto ended an 11-game losing streak with a victory over visiting Brooklyn.
Toronto’s Immanuel Quickley (elbow) returned after missing 22 games and added 21 points and 15 assists. Gradey Dick had 22 points and three steals.
Brooklyn’s D’Angelo Russell, playing his first game since his acquisition in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, scored 22 points off the bench. Cameron Johnson scored 24 points and Keon Johnson finished with 17 for the Nets, who have lost three in a row.
Nuggets 139, Hawks 120
Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists for his 14th triple-double of the season and third in four games as Denver downed visiting Atlanta.
Russell Westbrook had 16 points and 11 assists and Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray contributed 21 points each for the Nuggets, who have topped 130 points in four straight games.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 30 points and nine assists. De’Andre Hunter scored 20 points as Atlanta had a four-game winning streak end.
Rockets 110, Mavericks 99
Cam Whitmore scored 18 points off the bench and teamed with Alperen Sengun to lead a decisive second-quarter run that helped Houston beat visiting Dallas.
Sengun tallied 23 points and five steals as Houston rebounded after dropping the first two games of a five-game homestand. Jalen Green scored 22 points while Dillon Brooks added 19 points and six rebounds.
Klay Thompson posted 16 points for the Mavericks, while Kyrie Irving added 16 points and seven rebounds. Already without their leading scorer, Luka Doncic (calf), the Mavericks lost P.J. Washington to a right knee sprain. He did not return for the second half.
Wizards 125, Bulls 107
Jordan Poole, back after missing two games with a hip injury, scored 30 points to lead host Washington past Chicago.
Justin Champagnie added 15 points, while Carlton Carrington scored 11 points and made all three of his 3-point attempts for the Wizards. Rookie Alexandre Sarr logged 11 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high-tying five assists.
The Bulls’ Zach LaVine led all scorers with 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting. Coby White added 17 points and Nikola Vucevic contributed 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Heat 119, Pelicans 108
Tyler Herro scored 32 points to lead five Miami scorers in double figures and the host Heat sent New Orleans to its 11th consecutive loss.
Bam Adebayo added 23 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Heat. Jimmy Butler returned from a five-game absence caused by a flu-like illness and finished with nine points in 25 minutes.
Trey Murphy III scored 34 points — one off his season high — and CJ McCollum added 22 for the NBA-worst Pelicans, who fell for the 20th time in 21 games.
Pistons 105, Magic 96
Jaden Ivey scored 22 points before sustaining a potentially serious left leg injury and leaving the court on a stretcher as host Detroit defeated Orlando. Ivey was injured when Orlando’s Cole Anthony dove for a loose ball early in the fourth quarter and crashed into Ivey’s leg.
Cade Cunningham contributed 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Jalen Duren had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who have won four of their past five games.
Jalen Suggs put up 24 points for the Magic, who have lost three of their past four. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 21 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 15 points and eight rebounds.
