Fourth-quarter flourish
Durant’s accuracy at tail-end of game helps Warriors rally past NY Knicks
LOS ANGELES: Kevin Durant scored 25 of his game-high 41 points in the fourth quarter as the Golden State Warriors ended the game on a 42-9 run to complete a furious rally to beat the host New York Knicks, 128-100.
The two-time defending NBA champions Warriors have won five of six to open the season. Stephen Curry scored 29 points for Golden State while Draymond Green (18 points) and Klay Thompson (12 points) also scored in double digits.
The Knicks have lost five straight since a season-opening win, though they have fallen to contenders such as Golden State, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.
Tim Hardaway Jr. led New York with 24 points while Frank Ntilikina had 17 points. Trey Burke added 15 points, and Damyean Dotson finished with 12 points.
PELICANS 117 NETS 115: Jrue Holiday scored five of his game-high 26 points in the final 22 seconds as host New Orleans rallied against Brooklyn to stay undefeated.
Holiday, who was coming off a 2-for-15 shooting performance, made two free throws to pull the Pelicans within 115-114 with 21.9 seconds left. With the shot clock turned off, New Orleans didn’t foul, and D’Angelo Russell threw the ball out of bounds with 7.5 seconds remaining.
Russell led Brooklyn with 24 points, Caris LeVert scored 21 and Shabazz Napier had 16.
BUCKS 125 TIMBERWOLVES 95: Khris Middleton and Ersan Ilyasova scored 16 points apiece as visiting Milwaukee improved to 5-0 by pounding Minnesota.
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for Milwaukee. Malcolm Brogdon scored 13 points, Brook Lopez added 11 and John Henson collected 12 rebounds for the Bucks. Milwaukee is two wins shy of matching the franchise-best 7-0 start from 1971-72.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 16 points, and Derrick Rose added 14 for the Timberwolves, who lost their second straight game. Jimmy Butler had just four points on 2-of-11 shooting for Minnesota, who were booed off the court at halftime after their poor play over the first 24 minutes.
RAPTORS 116 MAVERICKS 107: Kyle Lowry had 20 points and 12 assists to record his fourth straight double-double as Toronto defeated visiting Dallas on Friday night.
Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Raptors, who have won their first six games of the season for the first time in franchise history. They won their first five to open the 2015-16 season.
The Raptors also have won their first five home games of the season to match the club record previously accomplished in 2014-15 and 2003-04.
CLIPPERS 133 ROCKETS 113: Montrezl Harrell scored a career-high 30 points, Lou Williams chipped in 23 and visiting Los Angeles rolled to a lopsided win over Houston.
The Clippers, whose lacklustre start offensively was covered by their stellar defence, thrived on offence against the injury-depleted Rockets, who were without starters James Harden and James Ennis and remained winless at home.
Houston welcomed back guard Chris Paul from suspension, but he shot three for 13 and had five turnovers while scoring 12 points in 34 minutes. HORNETS 135 BULLS 106: Kemba Walker scored 30 points, all in the first three quarters, and Charlotte salvaged a split of a home-andhome set against visiting Chicago.
The Hornets had eight players score in double figures. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 15 with eight rebounds; Miles Bridges scored 15; Cody Zeller scored 14; and Nic Batum, Jeremy Lamb and Malik Monk scored 10 each.
Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 20 points. The Bulls also got 19 points from Jabari Parker, 15 from Cameron Payne and 13 from Antonio Blakeney.
KINGS 116 WIZARDS 112: Buddy Hield scored seven of his 22 points in the final 6:18, and hosts Sacramento took advantage of three late Washington turnovers to hold on for a second straight victory.
Hield made three of four free throws in the final 19.6 seconds, De’Aaron Fox one of two with 2.4 seconds left and Nemanja Bjelica a pair with 1.8 seconds to go. Bjelica led the Kings with 26 points and added 12 rebounds.
John Wall, whose three-pointer with 3.2 seconds remaining gave Washington a chance, led the Wizards with 26 points. Washington lost their fourth of five games.