NBA roundup: Knicks crush Pacers in bounce-back win

Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 26 points and Karl Anthony-Towns posted a double-double Friday night for the host New York Knicks, who shut down Tyrese Haliburton and rolled to a 123-98 win over the Indiana Pacers.

Towns and fellow newcomer Mikal Bridges both bounced back from their rough Knicks debuts by scoring 21 points each. Towns added 15 rebounds and Bridges had five assists. The duo had just 28 points combined on Tuesday in a 132-109 loss to the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics.

New York limited the Pacers to just 3-of-30 shooting from 3-point range three nights after yielding an NBA-record-tying 29 3-pointers to the Celtics.

Bennedict Mathurin scored a team-high 20 points off the bench for the Pacers, whose 3-point shooting percentage was their worst since Jan. 19, 2018. Haliburton was held scoreless in just under 26 minutes, going 0-for-8 from the field and 0-for-7 from long distance.

Raptors 115, 76ers 107

Scottie Barnes scored 27 points as Toronto defeated visiting Philadelphia. Jakob Poeltl added 19 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots and Jonathan Mogbo had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Raptors, who have split their first two games of the season.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 28 points for the 76ers, who have lost their first two games of the season. Tyrese Maxey added 24 points, Kyle Lowry had 14, and Andre Drummond and Caleb Martin scored 11 apiece.

Joel Embiid (left knee management) and Paul George (left knee bone bruise) did not play for Philadelphia, while Immanuel Quickley (right pelvic contusion), RJ Barrett (shoulder), Kelly Olynyk (back) and Bruce Brown (knee) did not play for Toronto.

Magic 116, Nets 101

Franz Wagner scored 29 points to lead six Orlando players in double figures and the host Magic pulled away in the third quarter to beat Brooklyn.

Paolo Banchero added 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Banchero and Franz Wagner combined for 19 of Orlando’s 32 points in the third. Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 10 points apiece, and Wendell Carter Jr. grabbed 11 rebounds.

Cam Thomas scored 24 for the Nets, who are 0-2 in consecutive seasons for the first time in their NBA history. Dennis Schroder added 20 points for Brooklyn, which shot 42.2 percent but also committed 31 fouls after committing 32 in its season opener on Wednesday in Atlanta.

Hawks 125, Hornets 120

Trae Young poured in 38 points while stuffing the stat sheet, carrying Atlanta to a wire-to-wire win over visiting Charlotte.

Young hit five 3-pointers (on 14 attempts), dished out 10 assists, grabbed eight rebounds, nabbed four steals and committed seven turnovers. De’Andre Hunter supplied 24 points and seven boards for the Hawks.

Miles Bridges netted 27 points and Tre Mann chipped in 17 off the bench for the Hornets.

Cavaliers 113, Pistons 101

Dean Wade and Donovan Mitchell scored 19 points apiece and host Cleveland spoiled J.B. Bickerstaff’s return to the city by beating Detroit.

Jarrett Allen had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Evan Mobley supplied 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals for the Cavaliers. Bickerstaff coached Cleveland to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season but was dismissed after Cleveland was eliminated from the playoffs. He was hired by Detroit over the summer.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 33 points and six assists, but he also committed nine of Detroit’s 22 turnovers. Jaden Ivey had 22 points and Malik Beasley scored 13 points off the bench.

Warriors 127, Jazz 86

Buddy Hield continued his torrid start with a game-high 27 points, Stephen Curry went for 20 and Golden romped past Utah in Salt Lake City.

Andrew Wiggins snatched a game-high 13 rebounds and scored 10 points and Trayce Jackson-Davis contributed 12 points and nine boards, helping the Warriors go 2-0 on their season-opening road trip. Golden State routed the Portland Trail Blazers 140-104 on Wednesday.

John Collins put up 14 points, Lauri Markkanen had 13, Keyonte George and Collin Sexton logged 12 apiece, and Jordan Clarkson managed 11 for the Jazz, who completed a winless two-game homestand that began with a 126-124 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

Rockets 128, Grizzlies 108

Tari Eason scored 13 points off the bench, including a pair of 3-pointers during a 22-2 run in the third quarter, as Houston defeated visiting Memphis.

Jalen Green led seven Rockets in double figures with 22 points. Jabari Smith Jr. registered 14 points and 16 rebounds, and Alperen Sengun had 16 points and 15 rebounds for Houston. Green also totaled six rebounds, four assists and three steals. He made 4 of 8 3-pointers.

Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 24 points, while Desmond Bane added 17. Rookie Zach Edey had 13 points and nine rebounds. Memphis shot just 14 for 46 after the intermission.

Bulls 133, Bucks 122

Coby White scored a team-high 35 points on 12-for-20 shooting with seven 3-pointers, helping Chicago past host Milwaukee for its first win of the season.

Zach LaVine added 25 points, while Nikola Vucevic tallied 22 points and 10 boards. Josh Giddey added 17 points and nine assists. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 38 points and added 11 rebounds and five assists. Damian Lillard poured in 28 points.

Trailing by a point at halftime, Chicago opened the second half on a 16-8 run, capped by Vucevic’s 3-pointer with 7:34 left in the third.

Lakers 123, Suns 116

Anthony Davis scored 35 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Austin Reaves added 26 points and eight assists as Los Angeles rallied from a sluggish start to beat visiting Phoenix.

The Lakers improved to 2-0 to open a season for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Davis joined Jerry West and Elgin Baylor as the third Laker all time with back-to-back 35-point-plus games to open a season.

Kevin Durant scored 30 points to lead the Suns. Booker added 23 points and Bradley Beal chipped in 15 points and nine assists. Tyus Jones, who dished eight assists without a turnover in his Phoenix debut on Wednesday vs. the Clippers, scored 14 points but had two turnovers on Friday.

Pelicans 105, Trail Blazers 103

Brandon Ingram drained a 17-foot jumper with 5.2 seconds left and Herbert Jones blocked Anfernee Simons’ driving attempt just before the buzzer as New Orleans notched a comeback victory at Portland.

Jordan Hawkins scored 15 of his team-best 24 points in the fourth quarter for the Pelicans, who recovered from a 16-point, second-quarter deficit. Ingram had 21 points and eight rebounds, CJ McCollum scored 20 points and Zion Williamson had 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Jerami Grant scored 34 points but just had two in the fourth quarter when Portland was outscored 30-19. Simons registered 24 points and seven assists.

–Field Level Media