Late basket helps Knicks nip Pistons
NEW YORK — Josh Hart made the go-ahead basket with 2.8 seconds left after a chaotic possession, and the New York Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 113-111 on Monday night.
Jalen Brunson had 35 points and 12 assists for the Knicks, and it was his missed 3-point attempt with 20 seconds remaining that started the wild back-and-forth that led to Hart’s basket and left Pistons coach Monty Williams irate afterward.
Detroit chased down the rebound but threw it away, then appeared to recover when Ausur Thompson stole a pass by Donte DiVincenzo. But then Thompson lost the ball during a collision with DiVincenzo along the sideline, the Knicks came up with it and Brunson found Hart under the basket for his layup while being fouled.
Hart missed the free throw but the Knicks got the rebound, and Hart was fouled again, making one for the final margin.
After the Pistons lost their sixth straight, Williams went onto the court to yell at one of the officials about what he believed was a foul that should have been called when Thompson went down.
“The absolute worst call of the season,” Williams said during his brief postgame remarks. “No call, and enough’s enough.”
Hart added 23 points and DiVincenzo had 21 for the Knicks, who beat the Pistons for the 14th straight time.
Cade Cunningham scored 32 and Jalen Duren had 11 points and 16 rebounds for Detroit.
It was a wild ending to the first meeting between the teams since a Feb. 8 trade that brought Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to New York and sent Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier and Malachi Flynn to Detroit. Grimes received mostly cheers the first time he entered, but Fournier, who had long been out of coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation, was booed when he came in and the first few times he had the ball.
Grimes’ basket gave the Pistons a 111-110 lead with 37 seconds remaining before the sequence that started with Brunson’s missed 3.
Grimes chased it down in the corner and threw the ball back into the middle to teammate Simone Fontecchio. Hart stole it from Fontecchio and the Knicks got it to DiVincenzo, who threw it away but then regained
it from Thompson along the sideline by appearing to crash into the rookie’s legs.
HEAT 121, KINGS 110
In Sacramento, Calif., Bam Adebayo scored 28 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 26 and shorthanded Miami beat the Kings for its fourth straight win.
Kevin Love provided a spark with 19 points off the bench and Caleb Martin scored 16 for the Heat, who were missing three starters because of injuries or suspensions.
Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis had 14 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for his NBAhigh 21st triple-double of the season.
Sabonis also became the 10th player in history with 40 straight double-doubles in a season.
Keegan Murray scored 28 and De’Aaron Fox added 27 for Sacramento, which had its threegame winning streak snapped.
RAPTORS 130, PACERS 122
In Indianapolis, All-Star Scottie Barnes had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his fourth triple-double of the season and Toronto beat the Pacers.
RJ Barrett scored 24 points for the Raptors.
Rookie Gradey Dick added 18 points and matched his season high with four 3-pointers for Toronto, which won its third straight.
Bennedict Mathurin matched his career high with 34 points for the Pacers. Pascal Siakam had 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists against his former team. But All-Star Tyrese Haliburton struggled for Indiana, finishing with nine points.
NETS 111, GRIZZLIES 86
In Memphis, Tenn., Dennis Schroder scored 18 points, Dorian Finney-Smith added 13 points and nine rebounds, and Brooklyn beat the Grizzlies, giving Kevin Ollie his first win as an NBA coach.
Cam Thomas had 14 points before leaving the game with 7:23 remaining with a right ankle injury. Lonnie Walker IV added 13 for the Nets.
Lamar Stevens scored 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting for the Grizzlies, and Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 15 while going 2 of 12 from the field. GG Jackson had an even worse night, making one of his 13 shots, and Memphis shot 38.7% overall.
Ollie improved to 1-2 since being named Brooklyn’s interim coach, replacing the fired Jacque Vaughn.