DiVincenzo scores 31 points as Knicks top Nets
NEW YORK — Donte DiVincenzo scored 31 points, Miles McBride had 26 and the New York Knicks beat the Brooklyn Nets 105-93 on Saturday.
Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein each had 17 points in New York’s fifth win in six games. Brunson also had eight assists, and Hartenstein grabbed nine rebounds.
Hartenstein has been hampered by an Achilles injury this season, but he said he is feeling healthy again.
“We’re playing more unselfish basketball right now and that’s fun for me,” he said. “It lets me do what I was brought there to do.”
Brooklyn dropped its sixth consecutive game. Cam Thomas had 19 points for the Nets, and Mikal Bridges finished with 18.
Dennis Smith Jr. opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer record. Philadelphia began play in third place in the Metropolitan Division, and the victory over the Bruins will boost the rebuilding Flyers’ surprising playoff chances.
The teams engaged in a tight checking contest, with quality scoring chances hard to come by, until there was a flurry of offense in the final minutes.
Konecny put Philadelphia ahead 2-1 with a wrist shot from the circle 15:16 into the third period. He has a team-high 30 goals on the season.
Heinen answered with for Brooklyn, tying it at 80. But New York responded with a 12-0 run.
DiVincenzo scored the first seven points in the spurt on two layups and a 3-pointer. After Josh Hart scored on a putback, DiVincenzo made another 3 to make it 92-80 with 8:56 left.
“I’m just trying to make the right play. Be aggressive,” DiVincenzo said. “They were giving me space at the rim and I was taking advantage of it.”
The Knicks used an 8-0 spurt to open a 102-84 lead with 3:41 remaining. Hartenstein finished the run with a dunk and a three-point play.
New York improved to 3-0 against Brooklyn this season. They finish their season series on April 12 at Madison Square Garden.
“They went for every offensive rebound, they got every loose ball,” interim Nets coach Kevin Ollie said. “They just wanted it more. You could see it. his 14th goal at 16:12. He converted a one-timer from the side of the net.
That is where we are at because at those times you gotta go get it. You gotta go headfirst. We have to do those things to win. I know I sound like a broken record, but that is what we have to do.”
Bridges lifted Brooklyn to a 57-56 halftime lead when he connected from about 70 feet away for a buzzer-beating 3. Bridges had 11 points at the break.
New York also got a solid performance from Josh Hart, who finished with 13 rebounds and five assists.
“I knew this game would be a challenge coming off the road the way we did,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, whose team was back at home after a 3-1 trip out west. “We just needed to find a way to win, and we did.”
Nets: Visit Toronto on Monday. Knicks: Host Detroit on Monday.
had 22 saves. Predators 1, Red Wings 0: At Nashville, Tenn., Filip Forsberg scored with 5:14 remaining in the third period and Juuse Saros made 23 saves to lead Nashville to a victory over Detroit, extending Nashville’s franchise record streak of games unbeaten in regulation to 17 at 15-0-2.
Nashville sits comfortably in the Western Conference’s top wild-card position with 88 points.
Alex Lyon made 32 saves for Detroit, which had its two-game winning streak snapped.
OTTAWA, Ontario — Daryl Watts scored three goals to lead Ottawa past Toronto 5-3 on Saturday, snapping Toronto’s 11game winning streak. Hayley Scamurra and Brianne Jenner also scored for Ottawa (7-06-6) while Emerance Maschmeyer made 19 saves.
Natalie Spooner scored twice and Sarah Nurse had a goal for Toronto (103-0-6). Kristen Campbell stopped 20 shots.
Ottawa scored three straight goals in the third period to erase a 2-1 deficit.
Ottawa tied the game 38 seconds into the third when Scamurra fired a loose puck past Campbell. The home team took its first lead at 8:24 with Katerina Mrazova and Jenner breaking in on a 2on-1.
Mrazova made a perfect pass to Jenner, who scored to send the 8,448 fans at TD Place into a frenzy. Watts gave Ottawa a twogoal lead at 14:58.