Knicks pull away, streak reaches nine

NEW YORK — Julius Randle had 31 points and 10 rebounds, RJ Barrett added 25 points and 12 boards and the New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 120-103 on Saturday for their ninth straight victory.

Derrick Rose scored 19 points for the Knicks, who are on their longest winning streak since a 13-game run late in the 2012-13 season, when they won the Atlantic Division title in what was their last playoff appearance.

They are surging toward another one, having moved into fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 11 games remaining.

Randle, coming off a 40-point performance Wednesday against Atlanta, had 20 more by halftime Saturday. The Knicks then broke open a close game while he was on the bench to start the fourth quarter, and Barrett made the big shots down the stretch to turn away his hometown team.

Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby each scored 27 points for the Raptors, who were trying for a season-high fifth straight victory. The entered the day tied for 11th, a game behind surging Washington for the final play-in position in the East.

There were 14 lead changes in the first three quarters and neither team led by more than nine, before the Knicks opened the fourth with a big burst.

Obi Toppin hit a pair of 3-pointers during that 14-3 spurt, with the second making it 102-86 with 9:13 remaining.

Toronto never really got close, and the Knicks won the season series for the first time since 201011.

Pascal Siakam had 26 points for the Raptors, but Kyle Lowry was 1 for 10, missing all eight 3pointers.

BUCKS 132, 76ERS 94

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 points and moved into second place on Milwaukee’s career scoring list in a romp over visiting Philadelphia.

The Bucks beat the 76ers for the second time in three days to hand Philadelphia its fourth straight loss. Playing without All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the 76ers matched their lowest point total and suffered their mostlopsided loss of the season.

Embiid, who scored 24 points against the Bucks on Thursday, didn’t play because of a sore right shoulder. Simmons missed a fourth straight game because of an unspecified illness.

Khris Middleton found Antetokounmpo for a dunk early in the third quarter that enabled the reigning two-time MVP to overtake Glenn Robinson and become the Bucks’ second-leading career scorer. Antetokounmpo increased his career total to 12,223.

Antetokounmpo also had 14 rebounds and seven assists despite playing just 24 minutes. He sat out the entire fourth quarter with most of the other Bucks starters.

Philadelphia (39-21) dropped a full game behind the Brooklyn Nets (40-20) in the Eastern Conference standings. Milwaukee (37-22) is third in the East, 2½ games behind Brooklyn and 1½ back of Philadelphia.

Bobby Portis added 17 points for the Bucks.

Bryn Forbes and Jordan Nwora scored 13 each. Jrue Holiday had 12.

Donte DiVincenzo and

Pat Connaughton added 11 apiece.

Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey scored 15 points each to lead the 76ers. Dwight Howard had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Noah K. Murray / Associated Press Knicks guard RJ Barrett shoots over a pair of Raptors during the second half. Barrett had a double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds in the win.