’Melo nets 35 as Knicks overwhelm Heat
Spurs surge to 13-0 on the road • Magic overcome 52 from Wall to dump Wizrds • Piston top Bulls
Life with just nine available players – an unfortunate predicament that faces the Miami Heat at least three more times in the coming days – continued on Tuesday night with a respectable effort for much of the night, but ultimately another home loss, Miami’s eighth in 10 games at American-Airlines Arena.
With Carmelo Anthony scoring 15 of his 35 in an eight-minute stretch late in the third and early in the fourth, the New York Knicks overcame an early nine-point deficit to beat Miami 114-103 and send the Heat to its 14th loss in 21 games.
Equally problematic as Anthony’s eruption: The Heat gave up 31 second-chance points, with the Knicks hitting 15 of those 19 shots. The Knicks’ rebounding advantage wasn’t enormous (53-46), but the second chance points were killers, with the Heat limited to 13 points on second-chance opportunities.
“I can’t remember the last time we were beat up on the glass like that,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We are better than that. To give up [31] on second-chance, we haven’t had a game like that all year.”
Heat guard Goran Dragic scored 29 points, his regular-season high in a Heat uniform, but was irked that the Knicks “killed us on the boards. They beat us on hustle plays. We should be more physical and tougher.”
Ahead by one at the half, the Heat shot 40 percent in the second half and overall made only 16-of-27 free throws, very much in character for a team that’s last in the league in free throw accuracy at 67 percent.
And there wasn’t nearly enough defensive resistance during a Knicks’ second-half scoring assault that included 31 points in the third and 30 in the fourth. New York missed its first 11 three-pointers but hit then hit 7 of its last 14, including three by Anthony.
Dragic was very good, hitting 11-of-17 shots, dishing out seven assists and playing through a stinger in his left shoulder, while clearly outplayed Derrick Rose, who scored 10 points (4-of-12 shooting) with three assists.
Hassan Whiteside had 23 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks for Miami.
The Knicks (12-9) also got a second-half lift from Kyle O’Quinn (who closed with 12) and Lance Thomas, who scored 11. Joakim Noah had 10 points and 10 rebounds, Kristaps Porzingis 14 and 12.
(Miami Herald/TNS)
Spurs 105, Timberwolves 91
Another road game, another win for San Antonio as the Spurs topped Minnesota to improve to 13-0 away from home.
For the second successive night, San Antonio trailed at the half before rallying to keep its flawless road record intact.
Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting while guard Patty Mills chipped in 15 points, five assists and four rebounds off the bench for the Spurs.
San Antonio moved past the 1969-70 New York Knicks to take sole possession of the second-best road start to begin a season in NBA history. The Golden State Warriors started 14-0 last year.
Magic 124, Wizards 116
Elfrid Payton scored 22 of his career-high 25 points in the first half as surging Orlando defeated Washington despite a careerhigh 52 points from John Wall.
Payton made his first nine shot attempts as the Magic posted their highest point total of the season. Orlando went 4-1 on its road trip after losing four in a row.
Wall became the fourth NBA player to score 50 or more points in a single game this season, but received little help.
Seven Orlando players scored in double figures. Bismack Biyombo contributed a season-high 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Pistons 102, Bulls 91
Tobias Harris led a balanced attack with 22 points and Detroit rebounded after squandering a 17-point lead to down Chicago.
Andre Drummond supplied 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who have won four of their last five games.
Jimmy Butler carried the Bulls, who were playing their fourth game in five nights, with 32 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Dwyane Wade added 19 points and seven assists.
Grizzlies 96, 76ers 91
CMarc Gasol posted a double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds as Memphis held on to beat Philadelphia.
The 76ers went on a late 8-0 run and were up 91-89 with less than two minutes left before the Grizzlies scored the final seven points.
Memphis extended its winning streak to four games while the 76ers lost their eighth straight.
The victory was the Grizzlies’ 11th straight that either went to OT or was decided by five points or fewer.
Jazz 112, Suns 105
Gordon Hayward scored 28 points while Rudy Gobert added a career-high 22 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks to help Utah defeat Phoenix.
Boris Diaw and Joe Johnson added 13 points apiece for Utah and Shelvin Mack chipped in with 12 as the Jazz won for the seventh time in their last eight games.
Hayward had 11 third-quarter points to reach 20-plus points for the ninth consecutive game – the first Jazz player to do so since Carlos Boozer in 2007-08.