NBA: Knicks rally to stun Bucks, Warriors crush Pelicans while Nets hold off Pistons

LOS ANGELES (AFP, REUTERS) – Julius Randle posted a game-high 32 points as the New York Knicks rallied from a 21-point first-half deficit to beat the defending champions Milwaukee Bucks 113-98 on Friday (Nov 5).

The Knicks outscored the Bucks 94-60 over the final three quarters to snap a two-game losing skid in front of a crowd of 17,300 at the Fiserv Forum.

“Obviously, you don’t want to get down like we did, but we did,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s a long game. You’ve got to keep fighting and get it to a manageable number.

“Once we got going a little bit and we made a couple hustle plays, it galvanised us and gave us energy.”

Randle went 11 for 22 from the field and added 12 rebounds, while R.J. Barrett finished with 20 points to record his fifth straight game with at least 20 points.

Derrick Rose came off the bench to score 23 points as the Knicks (6-3) dominated the Bucks 54-28 points in the paint.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee (4-5) with 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

“It was a struggle. Defensively, we lost our identity,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We just didn’t play well after a good start.”

In San Francisco, Stephen Curry led a high-octane Golden State offence with 19 points and six assists as the Warriors clobbered the New Orleans Pelicans 126-85.

Andre Iguodala led a high-level passing exhibition with a season-best 10 assists and Jordan Poole poured in a game-high 26 points against the injury-plagued visitors.

The Warriors led by just four points at half-time before exploding in the second half for their third straight win and their seventh in eight games to open the season.

Playing without Zion Williamson (foot surgery) and Brandon Ingram (sore hip), the Pelicans dropped their sixth straight despite 20 points and 15 rebounds by Jonas Valanciunas.

Poole’s exploits came on the heels of a 31-point effort in a home win on Wednesday over the Charlotte Hornets. He hit 10 of 15 shots on Friday, including six of his nine three-point attempts.

The guard recorded a career-best 38 points in a home win over New Orleans in May.

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The Warriors, who attempted 31 three-pointers in the first half and shot 20-for-50 from long range for the game.

Golden State made 10 of 19 from beyond the arc in the second half and finished with a season-high 36 assists on their 47 hoops.

Iguodala’s total was his highest in almost four years, since he had 10 in a home win over Dallas in December 2017.

Elsewhere, Kevin Durant scored 29 points and added 10 rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets won their fourth straight game, holding on to beat the Detroit Pistons 96-90.

Durant also had five assists and LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 points for the Nets, who had to stave off a fourth-quarter Pistons rally for the win.

Durant became the first player in Nets history to score at least 20 points in each of the first nine games of a season.

Blake Griffin added 13 points and Bruce Brown chipped in 10 for the Nets (6-3). James Harden finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists but also committed nine turnovers.

“You are going to have games where emotionally, physically or mentally you just aren’t sharp,” Nets coach Steve Nash said.

“I didn’t think we were as sharp as we needed to be tonight, but we scrapped defensively and won the game.”

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Cade Cunningham led the Pistons (1-8) with 17 points. Kelly Olynyk contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Cory Joseph and Saddiq Bey added 12 points each.

Frank Jackson nailed two three-pointers as the Pistons began the fourth quarter with a 9-2 scoring surge.

Cunningham and Joseph then made three-pointers to pull Detroit within two at 88-86 with four minutes left in the game.

A Durant floater doubled the Nets’ lead but Cunningham answered with a three-pointer. Durant hit a mid-range jumper to make it 92-89.

Griffin then drew a charge against Pistons forward Bey and made an offensive rebound to set up Durant’s clinching layup with 12 seconds left on the clock.

In Washington, Montrezl Harrell scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, as the Washington Wizards used a balanced scoring attack and a stifling defence to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 115-87.

Seven players scored in double figures to complement the stingy defence by the Wizards (6-3).

They opened up a double-digit lead at the end of the third quarter and never looked back.

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In Florida, Dejounte Murray finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs snapped a two-game losing streak, beating the hosts Orlando Magic 102-89.

Devin Vassell had 12 of the Spurs’ 35 points from their reserves.

Keldon Johnson scored 20 points and Derrick White finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, as the Spurs played for the second time without centre Jakob Poeltl, who is in the league’s health and safety protocols.

Cole Anthony’s 21 points topped five players in double figures for the Magic, who lost for the eighth time in 10 games and fell to 0-4 at home.

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