Jazz pull inside job on Knicks
Utah outscores N.Y. 70-26 in paint on the way to easy win
Salt Lake City Rudy Gobert had 25 points and 16 rebounds as the Utah Jazz defeated the New York Knicks 129-97 Saturday night.
Dante Exum scored 13 points and had a career-high 13 assists in his first start of the season. Exum filled in for Ricky Rubio, who sat out with lower back and left knee contusions.
Donovan Mitchell added 15 points and Kyle Korver chipped in with 15 off the bench for the Jazz, who won for the sixth time in seven home games.
The Jazz outscored New York 70-26 in the paint, matching a franchise record for points in the paint, and finished with a 60-35 rebounding advantage.
Tim Hardaway, Jr. scored 18 points and Luke Kornet added 14 in his second start for the Knicks. New York lost its seventh straight. The Knicks have one win in their past 13 games overall.
New York trimmed the deficit to 82-60 on a 3-pointer by Hardaway late in the third quarter. But, that’s as close as the Knicks got in the second half.
Bucks 129, Nets 115: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, helping to turn away Brooklyn’s attempt to rally from a 23-point deficit early in the fourth quarter, and Milwaukee beat the undermanned Nets. Khris Middleton scored 29 points despite a quad injury, while Brook Lopez added 24 on 7-for15 shooting from the 3-point arc. Milwaukee shot 49 percent from the field, including 21-for-51 (41 percent) from the 3-point line to extend its Nba-best record to 25-10.
Celtics 112, Grizzlies 103: Kyrie Irving had 26 points and 13 assists, Al Horford added 18 points, including a pair of key 3-pointers in the closing 1:32, and Boston rallied for a victory over Memphis. Marcus Morris scored 22 points for Boston, and Gordon Hayward had 14 off the bench. Mike Conley led Memphis with 26 points, while Dillon Brooks added 19. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marc Gasol finished with 15 points apiece.
hawks 111, Cavaliers 108: Trae Young and Vince Carter each scored 21 points, John Collins added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Atlanta beat Cleveland. Atlanta, enjoying a rare run of success in its first season of rebuilding under new coach Lloyd Pierce, has won five of six. At 11-24, the Hawks have the fourth-worst mark in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve done better recently compared to Cleveland, which dropped its sixth in a row. Shen grad Kevin Huerter had seven points, four assists and five rebounds for Atlanta.
rockets 108, Pelicans 104: James Harden scored 41 points, becoming the first NBA player since Oscar Robertson to record at least 35 points and five assists in seven consecutive games, to power Houston. Harden had 26 points in the first half and reached 40 for the third straight game. He was 7-for-16 from 3-point range, made all 14 free throws and added six assists. Julius Randle led the Pelicans with 23 points and 11 rebounds. wizards 130, hornets 126: Trevor Ariza scored 24 points and was one of seven Washington players in double figures as the Wizards defeated Charlotte amid news five-time All-star guard John Wall will have seasonending surgery. Thomas Bryant added 21 points and 10 rebounds and Ariza had nine assists and seven rebounds for Washington, which won for the third time in 12 games. The Wizards announced that Wall would undergo surgery to address bone spurs in his left heel and miss at least six months.
Nuggets 122, Suns 118: Jamal Murray scored 46 points and made a career-high nine 3-pointers to carry Western Conferenceleading Denver to a victory over Phoenix.