Brunson lifts Knicks to sixth win in row
Losing streak hits six games for reeling Heat
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and had eight assists to boost the New York Knicks to a 125-109 win Saturday against the visiting Miami Heat. It was New York’s sixth consecutive and Miami’s sixth consecutive loss.
Julius Randle added 19 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks, but left with 4:27 remaining after appearing to land hard on his shoulder when Jaime Jaquez Jr. stepped in front of him trying to take a change on Randle’s drive to the basket.
Brunson helped New York break it open for good with a 13-3 spurt to open the fourth quarter and then sent the Heat into a timeout with his 3point midway in the quarter to make it 112-96.
OG Anunoby also had 19 points for the Knicks, who improved to 12-2 in January after he made his first start on New Year’s Day.
Jimmy Butler scored 28 points for the Heat, who got back Jaquez back after a sixgame absence with a groin injury, but were outscored 36-23 in the fourth quarter. Duncan Robinson had 19 points for Miami and Tyler Herro added 18.
The Knicks led 82-69 with three and a half minutes left in the third quarter, but Butler scored nine points and Robinson made two 3-pointers in a 17-4 spurt that tied it at 86 with 13 seconds left in the period. Randle made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put New York back in front.
Other games Wizards 118, Pistons 104:
Kyle Kuzma scored 30 points and Jordan Poole added 17 as Washington handed interim coach Brian Keefe his first win less than two weeks after the Wizards lost 129-117 to the Pistons in a matchup of the NBA’s worst teams. The Wizards had lost six in a row.
Clippers 115, Celtics 96: Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points in only 29 minutes and Los Angeles won its fifth in a row. Paul George added 17 points for the Clippers, who used a 21-0 run in the third quarter to take control and hand the Celtics only their second loss at home this season.
Nuggets 111, 76ers 105: Nikola Jokic scored 26 points and had 16 rebounds for Denver in an expected MVP showdown with Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, who sat out a fourth consecutive game with an injured left knee. Jamal Murray scored 23 points for Denver and Michael Porter Jr. had 20.
Nets 106, Rockets 104: Cam Thomas scored 37 points for Brooklyn, which outlast Houston to snap a threegame losing streak. The Rockets trailed by 28 in the second quarter, but cut the lead to one with seconds left.
Jazz 134, Hornets 122: Lauri Markkanen had 33 points and 12 rebounds to lead Utah to its 11th victory in 15 games. P.J. Washington had a career-high 43 points for Charlotte.
Bucks 141, Pelicans 117: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and hauled in 12 rebounds to lead Central Division leader Milwaukee. Brandon Ingram scored 26 for New Orleans.
Spurs 113, Timberwolves 112: Keldon Johnson’s free throw with nine seconds left was the difference as San Antonio won its second in a row.
Note
Doc Rivers said the chance to compete for a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks was what lured him back to coaching.
“I wasn’t going to just take a job,” Rivers said. “I’ve been contacted several times this season, and I wouldn’t even take the call. I was dead serious. If the right opportunity opened, I would listen. If not, I was fine.”
He will coach in an arena where his No. 31 Marquette jersey hangs from the rafters.