Knicks’ Melo, Amare keep 76ers winless
NEW YORK – Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points and Amare Stoudemire added 16 points and 11 rebounds as the New York Knicks kept the Philadelphia 76ers winless after 13 games with a 91-83 victory on Saturday.
Jose Calderon made his season debut for the Knicks, who had lost consecutive games but had an easy time against a team that was every bit as bad as its record for most of the game.
The 76ers are the first team to drop their first 13 games since the 2009-10 Nets lost 18 straight during the worst start in NBA history. The Sixers are nearing their franchiseworst start of 0-15 in 1972-73, when they finished 9-73 for the worst 82-game mark in league history.
Gerald Green led all scorers with 23 points as the Phoenix Suns remained one of the peak teams in the NBA after its 106-83 road win over the Indiana Pacers.
Markieff Morris added 13 for Phoenix, and Goran Dragic had 11. Isaiah Thomas pitched in with 16 points off the bench for the Suns. Indiana was led by Rodney Stuckey, who scored 14 points.
Miami’s Chris Bosh scored 14 of his season-high 32 points in the fourth quarter to lead Miami over the Orlando Magic, 99-92.
Bosh’s two free throws with 6:45 left pulled the Heat out of a 77-77 deadlock and started a 14-4 run that put them firmly in charge of their 10th straight win.
At Cleveland, Lou Williams scored a career-high 36 points as the Toronto Raptors turned an 18-point deficit into a convincing 110-93 win that sent the Cavaliers to their fourth straight loss.
The Raptors, who have won four in a row in their best start, trailed 26-8 less than 4 minutes into the game, but showed why they have the best Eastern Conference record.
The Washington Wizards defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 111-100, after Paul Pierce scored 25 points and John Wall added 19 points, while Tony Parker had 22 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs over the Brooklyn Nets, 99-87.
In other games, the Houston Rockets edged the Dallas Mavericks, 95-92, the Sacramento Kings defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 113-101, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Utah Jazz, 106-94.