Markkanen, Dunn help Bulls outlast Knicks 122-119 in 2 OTs

By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Basketball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lauri Markkanen had knocked down eight 3-pointers and almost knocked out his coach with a soaring slam, but Kris Dunn couldn't get anything to fall.

He kept shooting, and eventually hit the shot that put the Bulls on top for good.

Markkanen scored a season-high 33 points, Dunn shook off a nightmarish shooting night to make the tiebreaking basket in the second overtime, and Chicago beat the New York Knicks 122-119 on Wednesday night.

"It was a hard-fought win," Markkanen said. "We could have ended it a little bit earlier, but (that's) just how we won."

Dunn had missed 14 of his first 17 shots before banking in a runner with just under a minute left in the second extra period and Markkanen finished it off by making two free throws with 6.8 seconds remaining.

The rookie added 10 rebounds.

"For Lauri to come in on the big stage, the World's Most Famous Arena, and hit eight 3s and play against arguably the best power forward in the league in Porzingis, play 46 minutes and hit those big free throws late, just tells you everything you need to know," coach Fred Hoiberg said.

Robin Lopez and Denzel Valentine each scored 20 points for the Bulls in their third narrow victory over the Knicks this season. Markkanen was 8 of 15 behind the arc though his highlight play was at the rim, when he threw down a dunk over Knicks center Enes Kanter .

"I damn near passed out when he dunked that one," Hoiberg said.

"When he took that full court and just cocked it back, I was speechless. I got chills. It was crazy."

Michael Beasley 26 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for the Knicks, who lost for the eighth time in 10 games. Kristaps Porzingis finished with 24 points, including a dunk at the buzzer to force the second OT.

`We had opportunities. We didn't get stops at crucial times," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said.

Lopez then had the first two baskets of the second OT, and after the Knicks got the next two, Dunn made his shot to make it 118-116. He'd had plenty of easier looks that didn't fall, but his teammates and coaches told him to keep shooting.

"The mid-range, that's my shot, and I kept getting to my spots," Dunn said. "I liked the shot and it wasn't falling, and the fact that the sky floater goes in is just like, all right, if that's going to go in, then we're going to have to accept it."

Jarrett Jack had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double in six years, but threw away a pass after coming up with a steal with the Knicks down two late in the second OT.

TIP-INS

Bulls: Nikola Mirotic missed his second straight game with an illness. ... Chicago ended a four-game losing streak in New York.

Knicks: Beasley was back after missing a game with a sprained left ankle. ... The Knicks unveiled their City Edition alternate uniform, which is a tribute to firefighters and their families . The uniform they will debut against Brooklyn on Jan. 30 is dark blue in a nod to the firefighters' dress uniforms, and the shorts feature the logo of the Uniformed Firefighters Association.

ZACH'S ALMOST BACK

Zach LaVine is scheduled to make his Bulls debut Saturday against Detroit after recovering from left ACL surgery. LaVine, acquired in the trade for Jimmy Butler, hoped to play in this game, but neither the Bulls nor their G League affiliate had enough practice days between games to get him ready enough.

"For him to come play in this game, really he would have only had one practice in the last five days," Hoiberg said.

LaVine will practice with the Bulls on Thursday and Friday. Hoiberg said he has been working with the first and second unit.

HARDAWAY'S HEALTH

Tim Hardaway Jr. took part in a full practice this week and will do so again Thursday as he nears his return from a stress injury to his lower left leg. Hardaway last played Nov. 29 and Hornacek said he would slowly increase his workload when he returns to game action - though Hornacek wasn't sure when that would be.

"Tim's itching to go. That's his nature, his mentality," Hornacek said. "But we do have to listen to doctors. We've got to be careful with it and that's why he's been going through this gradual buildup."

MOMS' NIGHT OUT

A number of Bulls players had their mothers watching from the Madison Square Garden seats. The organization held its first "mom's trip" and hosted 11 moms seated together in section 117.

UP NEXT

Bulls: Host Detroit on Saturday.

Knicks: Visit Minnesota on Friday.

Embiid, Redick help 76ers beat Knicks, end 5-game skid

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) Joel Embiid has endured too much misery in the NBA to miss one of the fun days on the schedule.

So as soon as he knew his back felt up to it, he couldn't wait to get on the court for his first Christmas Day game.

Embiid had 25 points and 16 rebounds, JJ Redick scored 24 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 105-98 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday.

"Especially after what we've been through the past four years, I was so excited to play tonight because we've been through so much losing," Embiid said. "And to be able to be one of the few teams in our league that can play on this day, it just shows you how much we've improved."

Neither Embiid nor Redick was cleared to play until going through pregame warmups, and their presence gave the 76ers just enough to win their first Christmas Day appearance since 2001.

Embiid, who has been battling a bad back, powered through a big-man duel with Enes Kanter, who had a season-high 31 points and tied a career best with 22 rebounds. He joined Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Bob Lanier as the only players with a 30-20 game on Christmas, according to research provided to the Knicks by Elias.

"I respect the guy a lot because that guy didn't play three, four years and coming back (at the) level he's playing right now," Kanter said of Embiid. "So it's cool to play against, go against a guy like that."

Redick, who missed the last game with right hamstring tightness, helped the 76ers pull away from an 89-all tie midway through the fourth quarter. He's played in Christmas games before - and made clear again he's not a fan of them - and he thought his young teammates responded well to their first opportunity.

"There's a tendency to try to put on a show instead of just going out and competing, and I think we did a great job of just going out and competing," Redick said.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 22 points for the Knicks, who fell to 22-30 on Christmas with their fifth straight loss on the holiday.

Backup point guard T.J. McConnell had Philadelphia's final eight points of the third quarter, and the 76ers pushed the lead to nine with about 9 minutes left in the game. The Knicks battled back to tied it 89 on Porzingis' three-point play with 5:20 left, but Philadelphia promptly scored the next seven to go up 96-89 on Redick's 3-pointer with 3:34 to play.

Philadelphia's young stars kept the Knicks from getting much closer, with Embiid making a 3-pointer and Ben Simmons stealing Porzingis' pass and dunking it, both times hiking the lead back to eight.

TIP-INS

76ers: Coach Brett Brown called Embiid a "borrowed stud" who they get to "inherit" when he is able to play. "He doesn't practice and he comes in and plays games and we're trying to grow him into a situation where he is a normal part of a team," Brown said. ... The Sixers franchise is 17-13 on Christmas.

Knicks: Hall of Famer Bernard King, who set the Christmas record when he scored 60 points for the Knicks against the Nets in 1984, was at the game. ... New York had won seven straight at home over Philadelphia.

FULTZ UPDATE

No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, who has missed two months with right shoulder soreness, is on the trip with the 76ers. Brown said the purpose of having the guard from Washington with the team was "to make sure that he understands completely he is a significant part of our future and that we are with him unconditionally."

"We will help move him forward in a timeline that's responsible and I just like having him with his extended family, his teammates, with me, with us," Brown added. "Those types of things."

WHAT COULD'VE BEEN

Porzingis could've been playing for the 76ers instead of against them Monday. The Knicks took him with the No. 4 pick in 2015, one spot after Philadelphia went with Jahlil Okafor, who eventually fell out of the rotation entirely and was dealt earlier this month to Brooklyn. But Brown declined to look back, saying "next question" when asked if he ever wondered "what if?" when it came to Porzingis.

UP NEXT

76ers: Visit Portland on Thursday.

Knicks: Visit Chicago on Wednesday.

Pacers romp over Knicks

INDIANAPOLIS -- For Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo, it didn't matter that the New York Knicks were without their two top scorers.

"At the end of the day, it didn't matter who was out there we had to come ready to play," Oladipo said. "No matter who is out there, they are a great team that plays hard and plays together. So we had to be ready to play."

The Pacers definitely were. Indiana shot a sizzling 63.4 percent in the first half to take a 26-point halftime lead en route to a 115-97 romp over the Knicks on Monday night

The Knicks (11-12) played without top scorers, Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr., for the second consecutive game, both losses.

Porzingis is out with sprained right ankle and an illness. Hardaway is sidelined with lower left leg injury. Michael Beasley started in Portzingis' spot, and Damyean Dotson replaced Hardaway in the starting lineup.

Thaddeus Young led the Pacers (13-11) with 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting.

"I was just taking advantage of mismatches," Young said. "The team put me in good position to score and we found open guys."

Bojan Bogdanovic added 19 points, hitting 7 of 11 shots. Oladipo made 3 of 5 3-pointers, finishing with 16.

Seven players scored in double figures for Indiana. Domantas Sabonis contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Darren Collison had 10 points and 10 assists.

"When you are sharing the ball and moving the ball, everybody gets involved and that's very difficult to defend good ball movement like that," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said.

Willy Hernangomez led the Knicks with 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Beasley scored 13 points, all in the first half.

"I don't think we scored very well (Monday night), that's what really got us in the hole," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. "We weren't getting any threes, weren't getting any penetration to kick-outs. We scored a lot of points in the latter part of the game when it was over."

The Pacers, who made 11 of 26 3-pointers for 42.3 percent, are 11-1 when it shoots 40 percent or better from the 3-point line. Indiana had a season-high 31 fast-break points.

The contest was the opener of a six-game homestand for the Pacers, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

Overall, Indiana shot 53.5 percent from the field. Indiana led 66-40 at the half and scored the first 12 points of the third quarter to push the margin to 78-40, its largest lead. The Pacers led 95-65 after three quarters.

"When you are missing two of your top scorers, you have to deal with defense and we can't afford to give up 64 percent in the first half."

The Knicks hit 42.9 percent (18 of 42) from the field in the opening half. For the game, the Knicks made 40 of 91 shots (44 percent).

The Knicks never led, but the game was tied three times early. After the score was 13-13, the Pacers went on an 18-6 run to take a 31-19 lead after one quarter.

"We just weren't in the right spots," Beasley said. "Our rotations were pretty bad. We have to do better spacing the floor, move the ball side to side, penetrate and kick. We couldn't get anything going on the defensive side and they really got anything they wanted.

NOTES: Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said G Tim Hardaway Jr. is still being evaluated and there is no update on his lower left leg injury. Hornacek said he hopes rest will help F Kristaps Porzingis be able to play soon. New York hosts Memphis on Wednesday night. ... New York F Courtney Lee was under the weather, according to Hornacek, but he still started and scored eight points. Lee played at Pike High School in Indianapolis. ... The Pacers lost to host New York 108-101 on Nov. 5. The teams meet for the final time this season at Indiana on Feb. 11. ... Pacers G Darren Collison has led the Pacers in assists 18 times this season. ... Knicks F Joakim Noah played in just his second game all season, finishing with three points and four rebounds. He missed the first 12 games, finishing a 20-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy.

Knicks hand Clippers ninth straight loss, win 107-85

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Things are going so poorly for the Clippers that they can’t even beat the Knicks anymore.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points and New York extended Los Angeles’ losing streak to nine games with a 107-85 victory Monday night.

Porzingis outplayed a frustrated Blake Griffin and helped the Knicks snap a 10-game skid in the series with their first victory over the Clippers in more than five years.

“Bottom line, we just can’t sustain anything,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “Right now we get it going a little bit and one thing happens and it just implodes.”

Doug McDermott added 16 points for the Knicks, including a 3-pointer that swung the momentum for good midway through the third quarter.

“I got in there, had to bring some energy because we got off to a little slow start to start the third quarter,” McDermott said.

Griffin scored 21 points but shot just 6 for 18, picked up a technical foul and fouled out with 4:46 remaining. The Clippers (5-11) still haven’t won since Nov. 1 at Dallas, when they improved to 5-2.

“Tonight was not a good showing,” Griffin said. “We have to put together 48 minutes rather than playing in spurts. We know as a team that this is not going to be the end.”

Patrick Beverley returned after missing five games with a sore right knee and had nine points and six rebounds. But the Clippers are still without fellow guard Milos Teodosic and the rest of their backcourt play was mostly dismal.

The Clippers fell behind by 17 early in the third quarter before running off 15 straight to cut it to 66-64 midway through the period. But McDermott hit a 3-pointer in transition and added another during a 12-0 response by the Knicks that gave them a 78-64 advantage with 4:11 remaining in the period.

“I thought that was disheartening,” Rivers said. “I thought that took the spirit away but it shouldn’t and that’s where we’re at right now. When you lose nine games in a row, you’re in a losing streak, you start feeling sorry for yourself when things don’t go right and you can’t do that.”

New York then led by 26 in the fourth quarter.

The game was tied at 20 after one quarter, but the Knicks opened a double-digit lead late in the half after a 9-2 spurt and were ahead 56-44 at the break.

“In the first half we weren’t moving the ball. One pass or no passes and the guys were shooting it,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “Once we got into passing the ball and moving it from side to side, then we ended up with 20 assists in the final 32 minutes and that’s pretty good.”

The Clippers traded Chris Paul in the offseason and the search for reliable guard play remains. Austin Rivers was 1 for 9 for two points, Lou Williams came off the bench to shoot 2 for 8, and rookie Jawun Evans shot 2 for 8.

TIP-INS

Clippers: Los Angeles had won five straight at Madison Square Garden. ... Clippers assistant Mike Woodson was the Knicks’ coach last time they beat Los Angeles, on April 25, 2012.

Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr. played with a sore left foot and scored 13 points. He had been listed as questionable but Hornacek said Hardaway felt better after rest. ... Enes Kanter had 12 points and 16 rebounds.

STREAK SNAPPED

The Clippers’ 10-game winning streak over the Knicks was their longest active streak against any opponent. Now it’s seven in a row against Portland and Orlando.

STARKS WITH THE “STEAL”

Doc Rivers was talking to reporters before the game when former Knicks teammate John Starks walked by.

“Can you bring my wedge back?” Rivers yelled out. “Guy stole my wedge and didn’t give it back.”

Rivers said he had been without his golf club, which Starks contended that Rivers had left in his bag, for about two months.

“You know, when someone allegedly leaves a club in your bag, the right thing to do is mail it back to them,” Rivers said. “That’s all I’m saying. At some point, it’s stolen.”

UP NEXT

Clippers: Visit Atlanta on Wednesday.

Knicks: Host Toronto on Wednesday.

Porzingis’ career night lifts Knicks to 116-110 over Nuggets

By JEFFREY BERNSTEIN
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — A 23-point third quarter lead vanished in less than six minutes, before Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined to make sure that the deficit was short-lived.

Porzingis scored a career-high 38 points and Hardaway Jr., who re-signed with New York as a free agent for $71 million, scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks beat the Denver Nuggets 116-110 on Monday night.

The Knicks had taken their biggest lead of the game, 69-46, on Courtney Lee’s layup with 10:38 left in the third quarter. However, the Nuggets responded by scoring the next 13 points to ignite a 27-2 run and they took their first lead, 73-71, on Wilson Chandler’s free throws with 4:42 left in the third quarter. The Knicks committed 10 turnovers during that six-minute stretch.

“We had a lot of turnovers. It was one of the worst quarters we’ve ever had,” Porzingis said. “But, we are going to learn from this game.”

The game was tied 77-77 when Doug McDermott’s 3-pointer put the Knicks back in front for good with 1:09 left in the third.

New York led 84-81 going into the final quarter. Will Barton brought the Nuggets to within one, 89-88, with 9:50 left in the game.

But, Hardaway Jr. scored the Knicks’ next 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and Porzingis’ jumper with 5:35 left gave New York a 104-95 lead.

“I made some big shots and I was happy about that,” Hardaway Jr. said. “They were contested, but once you see one go down and you start feeling yourself a little bit it helps my confidence and the team’s confidence.”

Denver responded by scoring the next seven points and pulling within two on another pair of Chandler free throws with 3:10 remaining.

But, Jarrett Jack hit a long jumper and Lee added two free throws and the Knicks were able to hold on down the stretch.

“Fourth quarter, too many mental breakdowns. Lack of discipline to give Tim Hardaway Jr. three straights 3′s and he was the one guy we were supposed to be running off the line,” said Nuggets’ Head Coach Mike Malone. “So, just poor game awareness.”

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 28 points and Jamal Murray scored 20.

Kyle O’Quinn added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks. Lee and Enes Kanter each had 12 points for the Knicks. McDermott finished with 11 and Jack finished with 10 assists

Gary Harris scored 18 points, Emmanuel Mudlay had 15 and Barton added 13 for the Nuggets.

TIP-INS:

Nuggets: Denver had won the previous five meetings with the Knicks. New York’s previous win in the series was a 109-93 victory at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2014.

Knicks: New York’s three-game winning streak is its longest since they won four in a row last season.

SPENDING TIME IN THE GARDEN

Monday’s tilt with the Nuggets marked the beginning of a five-game homestand for the Knicks.

OH BROTHER

Siblings Willy Hernangomez (Knicks) and Juancho Hernangomez (Nuggets) were on opposing sides Monday night. Willy got off the bench to play just over three minutes, while Juancho was inactive due to an illness and did not attend the game. “I was really looking forward to seeing him,” Willy said. “But, he has mono and is being quarantined right now. Maybe for another few weeks.”

FOUL FRENZY

The Nuggets could not keep their hands to themselves in the second quarter, committing their fifth foul and putting the Knicks in the bonus at the 8:24 mark. New York went on to outscore Denver 30-18 in the 12-minute session.

UP NEXT:

Nuggets: Host Toronto on Wednesday. The teams will play again in Toronto on March 27. The Raptors won both matchups last season.

Knicks: Host Houston on Friday. The teams last met on New Year’s Eve 2016, with the Rockets posting a 129-122 victory. They play again in Houston on November 25.

Hardaway, Knicks give Cavs 4th loss in 5 games, 114-95

Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — After the Cavaliers’ fourth loss in five games, LeBron James is turning to the calendar for comfort.

“What month is this for me? October? I’m not about to go crazy over it right now. It’s too long of a season. I’ve been a part of this way too many times,” James said after Sunday night’s 114-95 loss to the New York Knicks.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 34 points, Kristaps Porzingis had 32 and the Knicks won for the second time after losing their first three games.

Cleveland, which was blown out by Orlando at home and lost to Brooklyn during this stretch, fell below .500. The Cavaliers were routed 123-101 in New Orleans on Saturday.

“Tonight’s loss and the last couple are unacceptable,” coach Tyronn Lue said.

The Cavaliers are favorites to return to the NBA Finals for the fourth straight season, but their issues continued, particularly on the defensive end.

“Guys are scoring at will against us,” James said. “Our defense is pretty bad right now.”

New York, after winning its first game Friday over the Nets, led 89-71 late in the third quarter. Cleveland cut it to 94-88 on James’ drive, forcing New York to call a timeout with 8:21 left.

Courtney Lee scored on a drive and hit a 3-pointer, helping the Knicks make it 103-88. New York took its largest lead, 114-93, in the final minute.

“We could have folded against a veteran team like that, but we made some big shots and pulled it out,” New York coach Jeff Hornacek said.

New York beat Cleveland for the first time since Oct. 30, 2014 — James’ first game back with the Cavaliers after playing four seasons in Miami — a span that covered 10 games.

“It’s nice to finally beat the Cavs for the first time in my career,” Porzingis said. “Hopefully we can be in the playoffs where that really matters.”

Hardaway came in shooting 27 percent in four games but scored 24 points in the first half. He was 11 of 19 from the field and hit 5 of 10 3-pointers.

“I did a lot more attacking,” Hardaway said. “I took the 3s when they were there. Seeing one go down opens up a lot.”

Kevin Love led the Cavaliers with 22 points while James had 16. Derrick Rose returned after missing four games because of a sprained left ankle and scored 15 points.

Cleveland led 13-10, but Hardaway scored 10 points, including two 3-pointers and a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Jarrett Jack, as New York went on a 14-0 run.

The Cavaliers tied it at 49 late in the second quarter, but the Knicks scored seven straight points and pushed the lead to 62-54 at halftime.

New York took over in the third quarter and built the lead to 17 on several occasions in the period.

BIG DAY REMEMBERED

Sunday marked the anniversary of James’ professional debut in 2003 against Sacramento. He had 25 points with nine assists and six rebounds.

“I played better 14 years ago than I did tonight,” James said.

ALMOST

Hardaway fell two points of his career high, which came on March 3 of last season against the Cavaliers while he played for Atlanta.

ANOTHER CHANGE

Rose’s return meant Lue went with his fifth different starting lineup in the first seven games.

ANOTHER INJURY

Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert didn’t play because of a sore right knee. He had spent time at point guard with Rose sidelined and started Saturday.

TIP-INS

Knicks: Porzingis had 12 rebounds while Enes Kanter had 18 points and 12 rebounds. ... Lee scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds. ... Jack and G Ramon Sessions each spent one full season with Cleveland.

Cavaliers: Cleveland’s loss to Orlando snapped a 17-game winning streak against the Magic. ... Power forward Tristan Thompson had one point, no rebounds and four fouls in 19 minutes. ... Love hit two 3-pointers in the first six minutes, giving him 900 for his career.

UP NEXT

Knicks: Return home to play Denver on Monday night in their first back-to-back set of the season.

Cavaliers: Host Indiana on Wednesday night. Cleveland has won seven straight in the series at home.

Tatum, Brown lead rested Celtics past Knicks 110-89

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
Asociated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown celebrated his 21st birthday by playing one of the best games of his young career.

Brown scored 23 points — just two points shy of the career high he set in last week’s season-opener — and the Boston Celtics beat the New York Knicks 110-89 on Tuesday night. He left the court with the perfect present — a win.

“You can’t beat that,” he said.

Rookie Jayson Tatum added 22 points. Kyrie Irving finished with 20 points and seven assists. Al Horford chipped in with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

After dropping their first two games to open the season, the Celtics have won two straight. The Knicks remain winless through their first three games.

Brown and Tatum were both taken No. 3 overall by the Celtics in the last two drafts, and became fast friends because of their proximity in age.

Brown was active from the opening tip, connecting on 5 of his first 8 shots and scoring 13 points in the first quarter. He said he has been the beneficiary of teams paying so much attention to Irving and Horford.

“They draw a lot of attention, so I’ve got to make plays when they’re taking up a lot of that attention,” Brown said. “Me and Jayson, we’ve got to make teams guard us.”

Enes Kanter led New York with 16 points and 19 rebounds. But he got most of them in a first half in as his team struggled mightily from the field. The Knicks scored the first basket of the night, but never led again. They shot just 42 percent and went 1 of 12 from the 3-point line.

TIP-INS

Knicks: Kanter had 16 rebounds in the first half. ... New York went 0 for 6 from 3-point line and committed 11 turnovers in the first half.

Celtics: This is the third time this season they have scored 100 or more points. ... Had five of their seven blocks in the first half. ... Coach Brad Stevens said Smart remains day-to-day, but expects that he will travel with the team on its upcoming road trip.

DYNAMIC DUO

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Tatum and Brown are the first Celtics’ duo ever to score 20-plus points at 21 years or younger in the same game in team history. “We’re gonna keep getting more comfortable with each other as time goes on,” Tatum said.

NO SMART, NO PROBLEM

Boston played without guard Marcus Smart, who sat out his second straight game with a sprained left ankle.

But they didn’t need him. The Celtics played like a team coming off four days’ rest, taking as much as a 25-point lead late in the second quarter.

New York never recovered.

Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said before the game that Tim Hardaway Jr. had been playing through a preseason ankle injury. He took a couple of hard spills, but still logged 28 minutes. He finished with six points, connecting on just 2 of his 11 shots.

“We were all out there just running like we don’t know what’s going on and that can’t happen,” Hardaway said. “I’m not playing the way I want to play. ... I can’t harp on (the ankle). You’ve got to move on, get back in the gym and work.”

UP NEXT

Knicks: Host Nets on Friday.

Celtics: Begin two-game road trip Thursday at Milwaukee.

Knicks trade Anthony to Thunder

The New York Knicks agreed to trade 10-time All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to multiple reports Saturday.

The Thunder will send center Enes Kanter, forward Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick via the Chicago Bulls to the Knicks, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 33-year-old Anthony will waive his no-trade clause and his $8.1 trade kicker to accommodate the deal, according to ESPN.

A trade call is scheduled for Monday to finalize the deal with the league office, sources told The Vertical.

Anthony previously told the Knicks he would only waive his no-trade clause for the Thunder, Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Anthony joins MVP Russell Westbrook and newly acquired All-Star forward Paul George in a reshaped and Western Conference contender. Both players reportedly played a significant role in recruiting Anthony to waive his no-trade clause for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder are making a major commitment with the Anthony deal, incurring $27 million in luxury tax for the 2017-18 season. He has two years and $54 million left on his contract, including a player option for $27.9 million on the 2018-19 season.

Talks between Thunder general manager Sam Presti and Knicks GM Scott Perry intensified in 24 hours before Saturday's agreement, league sources told ESPN.

Anthony could take part in the start of Thunder training camp on Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

The Knicks stated publicly on Friday that Anthony would return to the team for the start of training camp, but an increased level of urgency began over the weekend, The Vertical reported.

Anthony had a no-trade clause as part of the maximum contract he signed in 2014 and declined a trade from the Knicks throughout the turmoil of Phil Jackson's tenure as president of basketball operations.

Anthony averaged 22.4 points on 43.3 percent shooting along with 5.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 74 games with the Knicks last season, his seventh in New York and 14th in the NBA.

Knicks, G Sessions agree to one-year contract

The New York Knicks and point guard Ramon Sessions agreed to a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum, according to multiple reports Friday.

The deal is worth $2.3 million, according to The Vertical.

The Knicks were searching for a veteran to help mentor rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, who was selected with the No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft.

Sessions, who has played 10 NBA seasons, averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 assists for the Charlotte Hornets last season. He was limited to 50 games due to a meniscus injury.

Sessions, 31, owns career averages of 10.6 points, 4.1 assists and 23.7 minutes.

The Knicks are interested in trading for Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, who asked to be traded during a recent meeting with owner Dan Gilbert.

New York is one of six teams that made an offer to Cleveland for Irving earlier in the week, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Irving reportedly told the Cavaliers that the Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat were his preferred teams if the trade request is honored.

The Knicks told teams last week they would not be including Kristaps Porzingis in a trade for Irving but would be open to dealing Carmelo Anthony and at least one future first-round pick for Irving, according to ESPN. Houston has been Anthony's primary landing spot in trade talks.

Knicks sign Hardaway Jr. to offer sheet

Tim Hardaway Jr. signed a four-year, $71 million offer sheet with the Knicks on Thursday, raising the possibility that the Atlanta Hawks' restricted free agent could return to New York.

Hardaway, a 25-year-old shooting guard, played his first two seasons with the Knicks before being traded on draft day in 2015 to Atlanta for the rights to guard Jerian Grant.

The Hawks have two days to match the deal or let Hardaway go. They have indicated in the past that they would try to keep him.

Detroit Pistons assistant coach Tim Hardaway Sr. told the New York Post that his son had "no bad blood" with the Knicks and wouldn't mind a return to the organization with Phil Jackson no longer running the team. It was Jackson who traded Hardaway.

It is believed that if Atlanta does not match, New York would not be able to bring back guard Derrick Rose for financial reasons. The addition of Hardaway would also eliminate almost all the Knicks' projected cap space, unless they can trade Carmelo Anthony or Courtney Lee.

During his first season with the Hawks, Hardaway told the Post: "Everybody wants to stay with the team they got drafted with. A lot of times, it doesn't work that way. You got to move on and build a new legacy somewhere else.

"The passion you bring, you have to take to that team you're with. They brought me here for a reason. They know what I can do. I'm here for a reason."

Hardaway raised his career average to 11 points after scoring 14.5 per game last season, shooting a career-best 45.5 percent from the field in 79 games (30 starts).

Knicks are considering trade of Porzingis

Kristaps Porzingis may not be long for New York as Knicks president Phil Jackson is considering trading the 7-foot-3 Latvian and has been fielding trade calls ahead of Thursday's NBA Draft, according to multiple reports.

Porzingis, 21, has not been in contact with anybody within the Knicks' front office since the end of the season. He skipped exit meetings with Jackson and the team due to his frustration with the Knicks' dysfunction.

The former fourth-overall draft pick in 2015 has averaged 16.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks over 138 games in his first two seasons with the Knicks. Last season, Porzingis averaged a career-high 18.1 points, 7.2 boards and two blocks in 66 contests.

New York missed the playoffs after going 31-51 and finishing 12th in the Eastern Conference.

Porzingis' brother, Janis, who works for Porzingis' primary agent Andy Miller, reiterated last week the forward's desire to remain in New York.

"Despite how the Knicks are treating their players, Kris wants to stay in New York," Janis Porzingis said via ESPN. "He loves the city and he loves the fans and he wants to win with this team.

"If he's going to be traded, he's going to play out his contact and decide his future on his own."

If Jackson decides to trade Porzingis, he is eyeing Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen as a possible replacement. Jackson had dinner with Markkanen on Monday night in New York and is considering drafting him with the Knicks' No. 8 overall pick on Thursday, The Vertical reports.

Conley scores 31, Grizzlies beat Knicks to clinch seventh

By CLAY BAILEY
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Mike Conley showed a deft shooting touch even through a half-closed eye.

Conley, still showing some swelling from a gash under his right eyebrow, connected on 12 of 17 shots en route to 31 points as the Memphis Grizzlies clinched the Western Conference's No. 7 seed with a 101-88 victory over the short-handed New York Knicks on Friday night.

"There were few times when (I) had to looked to the right too quickly, and it gets in the way a little bit," Conley said. "But for the most part, (the eyesight) was pretty clear. It bled a little bit, but we glued it up."

Conley's went 7 of 11 from 3-point range and led six Grizzlies in double figures as Memphis snapped a three-game losing streak. The Grizzlies will face the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

Wayne Selden scored a career-high 13 points and Vince Carter added 12, including a trio of 3-pointers as the Grizzlies pulled away with a 16-2 rally in the fourth quarter.

Courtney Lee led the Knicks with 16 points, while Maurice Ndour recorded a career-high 15. Justin Holiday finished with 12 points, and Willy Hernangomez had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The Knicks, who played without Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, lost for the third time in the last four.

Anthony did not play since it was the second night of a back-to-back. And hopes of Porzingis returning were sidetracked when his sore lower back flared up. Those absences coupled with long-term problems like Derrick Rose's season-ending knee surgery and Joakim Noah's suspension, put the Knicks deep into their bench players.

The young reserves were up to the challenge until the early stages of the fourth as a pair of early shot clock violations allowed Memphis to retake the lead.

"In this game, when you're shooting 3s, it can go from a close game to all of a sudden you're down 12 or 15 points," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said.

That's where the game got away from New York. Memphis used the early turnovers and crafted its rally in the middle of the period, led by Carter's trio of 3-pointers, the last one extending the Memphis advantage to 96-80.

"We guarded them," Selden said of the fourth quarter. "We played with energy. We really turned it up on the defensive end, and that's what gave us the opportunity to get out and run."

Memphis had a 12-point lead in the first half, but came out lackadaisical after intermission. Lazy passes and inattentive ball handling contributed to a hlaf dozen turnovers, allowing the Knicks to pull even at 66 in the third.

TIP-INS

Knicks: New York has lost its last six trips to the FedExForum. ... Ndour's previous career high this season was 13 against Chicago on Tuesday. "After every game, I ask myself if I can do this every single night," the rookie said. "It's not easy."

Grizzlies: Ten of Conley's 15 career 30-point performances have come this season. ... Conley is one of four players with at least 10,000 points, 4,000 assists and 1,000 steals in his career. LeBron James, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook are the others. ... Selden's previous career high was 11 points on March 17 against Houston.

PORZINGIS NOT BACK, BECAUSE OF BACK

Porzingis missed his third game with a balky lower back. Porzingis made the trip, but couldn't loosen up enough. "He wanted to play," Hornacek said. "The long flight last night didn't help it much, so it's still (stiff)." After the game, Porzingis said he was "not too concerned" about the injury. "It's all muscle really. Something is a little bit off."

CHICKEN SHOT

Memphis rookie Wade Baldwin launched a shot from near midcourt as the final horn sounded and the game well in hand. The 3-pointer dropped through, putting Memphis over 100 points and winning fans a couple of chicken tenders and potato wedges in a restaurant promotion. Lee was angry, as the former Grizzlies guard looked for Baldwin after the game to let him know such an unnecessary shot is unacceptable. He was stopped by several Memphis players.

UP NEXT

KNICKS: Host the Toronto Raptors on Sunday

GRIZZLIES: Memphis continues its season-ending homestand Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Pistons.

Beal's 25, tiebreaking 3 help Wizards beat Knicks 106-103

By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Basketball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) Bradley Beal delivered the big shot and just enough points at the end to beat a bad Knicks team.

Next weekend, the competition gets better and the Washington Wizards know being good on offense won't be good enough.

"We have a bigger picture," John Wall said. "We're trying to play for the playoffs and play for something special so we have to do a better job defensively. Defense is a big factor in the playoffs because every possession matters. Offense and all that is not our problem."

Beal scored 25 points and made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 49 seconds left as Washington beat New York 106-103 on Thursday night.

Wall added 24 points and eight assists for the Wizards, who blew a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter but recovered to improve to 48-31, tying Toronto for third place in the Eastern Conference. Washington is trying for its first 50-win season since 1978-79.

Marcin Gortat was 7 for 7 from the field and scored 16 points for the Wizards. They have won seven straight at Madison Square Garden.

Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points for the Knicks, who are a loss away from their third consecutive 50-loss season.

New York erased an 89-77 deficit to tie it at 101 after Anthony knocked down consecutive jumpers, but Beal got free for a corner 3 that made it 104-101.

"As soon as I drove the ball, Carmelo came over and helped. Whenever I see two defenders, I try to get off the ball and relocate," Beal said. "I kept moving and all I needed was an inch of space and I shot the ball with confidence."

He later added a pair of free throws and Washington held on when Anthony missed a 3-pointer to finish a 7-for-19 night from the field.

"The way that the game was going, especially coming down to the last couple minutes of the game, I wish we'd have had a different result," Anthony said. "But guys fought, guys played gave us an opportunity to even be in the game."

TIP-INS

Wizards: Washington played without Markieff Morris (sore right ankle). ... The Wizards have beaten the Knicks six straight times.

Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis didn't play because of a sore lower back. Justin Holiday scored 16 points off the Knicks bench.

BRANDON'S BACK

Brandon Jennings scored four points off Washington's bench in his first trip back to Madison Square Garden since signing with the Wizards in March. Jennings signed with the Knicks in July but was waived in February so he could seek a bigger role on a contender.

"He gives us a little bit of a swagger, he gives us some confidence," coach Scott Brooks said. "He hasn't made shots like he will but he makes plays for us, he gets guys open shots, he pushes the tempo."

SERIES SWINGS

The Wizards have won 13 of the last 14 meetings. Before that, the Knicks had a 10-game winning streak that started in the 2009-10 season.

AWARD WINNER

The Knicks honored MSG Network broadcaster Mike Breen with the ninth annual Dick McGuire Knickerbocker Legacy Award, given by the family of the Hall of Fame player and team employee to a person who "exudes the qualities of what it means to be a Knickerbocker." Breen, in his 25th season doing play-by-play for MSG, also has called the last 11 NBA Finals for ABC.

UP NEXT

Wizards: Host Miami on Saturday, the first of two remaining meetings for the Southeast Division rivals.

Knicks: Visit Memphis on Friday for their final road game of the season. The Knicks have lost their last five trips to the FedEx Forum.

Bulls continue playoff push with visit to Knicks

Stats, LLC

NEW YORK -- The Chicago Bulls are surging back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture just in time to face a favorable schedule.

Chicago will play the first of its five remaining games against non-playoff teams Tuesday night when it visits the New York Knicks.

The Bulls (38-39) are on a four-game winning streak and are 7-4 in their last 11 games since dropping five straight from March 4-12. The surge has moved the Bulls into seventh place in the East and two games behind the fifth-place Milwaukee Bucks.

After facing the Knicks, Chicago visits Philadelphia and Brooklyn before returning for home games against Orlando and Brooklyn.

"We just continue to talk about this with our team -- we'll just worry about ourselves," Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg. "Every day we have to get in the gym, get in the film room, continue to learn and continue to make positive strides forward as a basketball team."

Jimmy Butler is coming off two straight 30-plus point performances. He was named Player of the Week in the Eastern Conference on Monday. He averaged 32.5 points (second in the East) and 6.0 assists in three games.

In Sunday's 117-110 win at New Orleans, Butler scored 25 of his game-high 39 points in the first half and logging a team-high 39 minutes. He did so after scoring 25 points in the second half of a two-point win over Atlanta on Saturday.

"Yeah, I'm dialed in," Butler said. "I think I'm rolling and playing well and doing what my team needs me to do, and we're winning, so at the end of the day, that's all that matters."

Chicago is peaking at the right time.

Rajon Rondo has performed well since filling in for Dwyane Wade, who is out with a dislocated elbow. In the nine games without Wade, he is averaging 11.6 points, 8.4 assists and 6.1 rebounds. The Bulls are averaging 108.6 points in Wade's absence, compared to 101.8 points before his injury.

The Knicks (29-48) will be playing their third game since officially being eliminated from postseason contention Wednesday. The Knicks are coming off an 110-94 loss to the Boston Celtics Sunday.

Carmelo Anthony did not play as he missed a second straight game with a sore back. He plans to return Tuesday but spent Monday talking about his future, which might with another team after he meets with management next week.

"The chips will be on the table," Anthony told reporters Monday. "The chips will be on the table in that meeting. I mean I don't know what to expect but I've got a good feeling. Chips will be on the table."

The Knicks will be without former Bulls Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah

Rose was shut down last week after finding out he needs surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He averaged 18 points and 4.4 assists in 64 games, two less than he played last season with the Bulls, who traded him in June for Robin Lopez and Jerian Grant.

"I feel bad for him (Rose)," Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis said. "I know hard he worked throughout the season to maintain the shape that he has and makes sure he avoids all those injuries as much as he can. To see that happen to him right now at the end of the season is tough.

Noah, a free agent signing, was more of a disappointment and is serving the fourth contest of a 20-game suspension for using a banned substance. The New York City native couldn't stay healthy, appearing in only 46 games, averaging five points and 8.7 rebounds.

Rose and Noah were in the starting lineup together for just 39 games and none since Jan. 27.

Since the 2000-01 season, the Knicks have won just one playoff series, which is tied with the New Orleans Pelicans for the fewest among any NBA franchise.

New York has won the first two meetings with Chicago. The Knicks recorded a 117-104 win in Chicago on Nov. 4 and posted a 104-89 win Jan. 12 in New York.

Dragic, Heat roll to 105-88 victory over Knicks

NEW YORK (AP) Many NBA teams dread back-to-backs, especially when the first game was as tough as the one Miami had a night earlier.

"We don't function like that," guard Goran Dragic said. "We try to win every game that we can."

Dragic had 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and the Heat breezed to an easy victory a night after going down to the wire, beating the New York Knicks 105-88 on Wednesday night.

Reserve James Johnson added 18 points for the Heat, who tied Indiana for seventh place in the Eastern Conference as they continue a second-half surge that could carry them to the postseason.

Josh Richardson finished with 17 points as Miami (37-38) improved to 26-8 since an 11-30 start.

The Heat pulled out a 97-96 victory in Detroit on Tuesday on Hassan Whiteside's tip-in at the buzzer, and coach Erik Spoelstra joked before the game he was glad they were right back at it so that victory wouldn't be celebrated too long.

"Our guys understand what's at hand and I want our guys to embrace this challenge and enjoy it," Spoelstra said. "This was a tough back-to-back and we were able to get it done."

Kristaps Porzingis had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Knicks, who were eliminated from postseason contention for the fourth straight season since winning the Atlantic Division in 2012-13.

"I thought we would be somewhere in the playoff race. Six, seven, eight seed. Right there," Porzingis said. "But things didn't go as we wanted."

Carmelo Anthony was scoreless in the first half and finished with nine points on 4-of-12 shooting.

The Heat led 77-68 after three, then opened the fourth with an 11-2 run, featuring uncontested dunks by Whiteside, James Johnson and Tyler Johnson to open an 88-70 cushion.

The lead grew to 23 later in Miami's sixth straight victory at Madison Square Garden. The teams meet again Friday in South Florida to complete the home-and-home series.

Derrick Rose sat out with a sore left knee as the Knicks fell for the ninth time in 11 games.

TIP-INS

Heat: Miami's 37 wins tie the most ever by a team that was 19 games under .500 at any point in a season. The 2013-14 Knicks finished 37-45 in the first season of their four-year playoff drought. ... The Heat are 12-2 on Wednesdays, their best day of the week.

Knicks: Coach Jeff Hornacek said he thought Rose would play in the game in Miami on Friday. ... Anthony took just two shots in the first half.

SUSPENSION STARTS

The NBA's independent medical expert determined that Joakim Noah was physically able to play, allowing his 20-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy to begin with Wednesday's game. Noah was recovering from Feb. 27 left knee surgery when the penalty was announced Saturday and he couldn't start serving it until he was deemed healthy. Noah will be allowed to practice and travel with the team, but can't be in the arena during games. The center will miss the last eight games of this season and first 12 of next, but Hornacek said having Noah in practice will be beneficial.

"Some of the things that we're going over now toward the end of the season, we're trying to emphasize are maybe a little different than when he was here four weeks ago," Hornacek said. "So, yeah, any time he's at practice, it's going to be good for not only him but the other guys, too."

ROLE PLAYER

Anthony took just two shots in the first half. The All-Star forward, the Knicks' leading scorer, said after the game he didn't know what his role was, but believes it's to assist the young players on the roster.

"I'm just here to kind of help those guys and keep those guys kind of positive and motivated," he said.

"I don't think me going out there trying to score 30 and 40 every night and playing that way is going to help them out at this point."

UP NEXT

The teams play Friday in Miami.

Heat look to continue playoff push vs. Knicks

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The Miami Heat spent Tuesday night playing down to the last possession in Detroit.

When the final buzzer sounded, Miami walked off the court with a hard-fought win to continue its pursuit of a playoff spot in the crowded Eastern Conference race.

Miami continues its bid for the playoffs Wednesday night when it visits the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The Heat are two weeks away from completing a remarkable turnaround in the last 2 1/2 months of the season. They were 11-30 following an eight-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks but have since won 25 of their last 33 contests.

Miami travels to New York following a 97-96 victory over the Pistons. Hassan Whiteside secured the win when he maneuvered the ball to his left hand and completed a tip-in shot just before the buzzer.

"Our guys want this so bad," Miami coach Erik Spolestra said after his team faced a four-point deficit in the final 30 seconds. "They really care about each other. They've developed such a strong bond. Guys really love each other. They want to play well for each other. It's bigger than just themselves."

Whiteside capped a showing of 17 points and nine rebounds after a wild scramble in which James Johnson and Goran Dragic missed shots. He was playing his third game with 13 stitches on a lacerated right hand.

"I got my dirty left hand on it and it went in," Whiteside said. "I lost the first rebound and then Goran got a second rebound. That was big. He threw it up there and I shot-tipped it in."

It was the biggest shot of the season to date for Miami (36-38), which had lost three of four previous games. The Heat are one game ahead of the Chicago Bulls, one behind the seventh-place Indiana Pacers and two behind the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks.

Miami has plenty of experience playing down to the wire this season. The Heat are 5-2 in games decided by five points or less during this run and 12-5 in games decided by single digits since Jan. 13.

"We feel like there's something special with this group, but nothing's guaranteed," Spoelstra said. "We believe in that energy and that karma. We believe that because we went through so many frustrating games at the end that it developed some toughness, if for no other reason than when we're down four, we're not getting caught up in other things, the officiating or distractions, it's just the task at hand and a very small chance of winning that game."

The Knicks are on the verge of being eliminated from the postseason for the fourth straight season since winning 54 games in 2012-13.

Much to the dismay of some fans who want to see the Knicks get in the best lottery position possible, New York (28-46) snapped a five-game skid Monday with a 109-95 home win over the Detroit Pistons.

"It's understandable," New York coach Jeff Hornacek said after his team shot 60 percent in the first half and did not allow a point for the first seven-plus minutes of the third quarter. "When you're not in the playoffs, everyone looks at the best draft pick you can get. It's hard. Players don't want to lose, coaches don't want to lose."

Derrick Rose scored 27 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 25 and Carmelo Anthony contributed 21 after sitting the previous two games with a knee injury.

"It was kind of a must-win for the team morale," Anthony said.

New York has not won consecutive games since Dec. 20-22, when it was 16-13.

Since getting those home wins over the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers, the Knicks are 12-33, including a 6-14 mark at home.

Miami is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings and has won each of its last five games in New York. In the first meeting on Dec. 6, Anthony scored 35 points in a 114-103 win.

Knicks hand Pistons 4th straight loss, 109-95

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) Just in time to delay playoff elimination, the New York Knicks showed they have some spunk left.

"Guys, they keep playing, keep fighting," coach Jeff Hornacek.

The Detroit Pistons better hurry up and do the same.

Derrick Rose scored 27 points, Kristaps Porzingis had 25 and New York handed the Pistons another damaging defeat with a 109-95 victory Monday night.

Carmelo Anthony returned from a two-game absence due to a sore left knee and added 21 points as the Knicks snapped a five-game losing streak.

Marcus Morris scored 20 points but Detroit dropped its fourth straight and fell 1 1/2 games behind Miami for the eighth and final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. Ish Smith had 15 points while former starting point guard Reggie Jackson didn't play.

"I think we've let up a little bit on the fighting side of the aspect of the game," center Andre Drummond said. "These past four, five games have definitely been tough. We really haven't shown a lot of fight down the stretch of games."

The Knicks shot 60 percent in the first half and turned it over to their defense to start the second, pitching a shutout for more than seven minutes to start the third quarter.

Rose believed the Knicks would be a playoff team but they instead are 28-46. He said they would drive themselves crazy if they thought about why there weren't more performances like the one they turned in Monday.

"You've just got to take these wins and roll with them," he said. "I know that the feeling that we have right now is good, but we've just got to go out there and finish the season strong, take it game by game."

The Pistons had already lost to Brooklyn, Chicago and Orlando during what should have been a favorable portion of their schedule to mount a playoff push, and coach Stan Van Gundy said his players were frustrated because of how badly their offense was struggling.

It was downright inept in the third quarter. Van Gundy burned a timeout 35 seconds into the period with the Knicks on their way to a 15-0 run that turned a five-point halftime lead into a 79-59 bulge. Detroit missed its first 10 shots before Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made a 3-pointer with 4:52 left in the third.

TIP-INS

Pistons: Detroit has lost seven of eight. ... Drummond had 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Knicks: New York avoided matching its longest skid of the season. The Knicks lost six in a row from Dec. 25 to Jan. 4. ... The Knicks have won the last four meetings at Madison Square Garden.

NOAH NEAR?

Hornacek said Joakim Noah was meeting with team doctors Monday in hopes he could be cleared to return to practice Tuesday and potentially begin his 20-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy with Wednesday's game. Noah is recovering from left knee surgery and on Saturday was suspended by the league for testing positive for a substance found in some over-the-counter supplements. The suspension begins when Noah is healthy enough to play, so the Knicks would consult with the league to determine if he has reached that point.

THE GUY FOR GEORGETOWN?

Van Gundy backed Hall of Famer and former Georgetown star Patrick Ewing for the school's vacant head coaching job. Ewing, currently working under Steve Clifford in Charlotte, was an assistant to Van Gundy in Orlando.

"Listen, I cannot imagine that you're at Georgetown and you don't hire Patrick Ewing. I think that they're incredibly fortunate that he would think about leaving the NBA to take that job," said Van Gundy, who believes Ewing should've had an NBA head coaching opportunity by now.

"He's got the full package. I can't imagine even what he'd be missing in that package. He's got everything. He's got the connection to the school, he's got the coaching ability, he's got the name recognition that will get him in any home in America recruiting and allow him to close the deal with just about anybody."

UP NEXT

Pistons: Host Miami on Tuesday. The Pistons have won two of three meetings this season.

Knicks: Host the Heat on Wednesday to open a home-and-home series.

Leonard, Aldridge help Spurs topple Knicks, 106-98

By RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Even with a difficult schedule ahead, the San Antonio Spurs refused to overlook the New York Knicks.

Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the Spurs beat the Knicks 106-98 on Saturday night.

"We're understanding that it's business time," San Antonio guard Patty Mills said. "Understanding that we've got to make the most of those little situations. Those little errors, those little mistakes that we tend to get away with during the regular season, we can't do that anymore."

San Antonio has won four straight heading into home games against Cleveland on Monday and Golden State on Wednesday. The Spurs (56-16) are two games behind the Warriors (58-14) for the league's best record.

"If you look at the standings, you may think that we're great and we're in a good situation," San Antonio veteran Manu Ginobili said. "But I don't have the feeling that we are ready yet, that we're playing at a level in which we are ready to go face whoever we're going to play in the playoffs. But we're in a good situation. I wish and I think that we could be paying better at this point. Hopefully we get better in these next two games."

The Spurs nearly had a repeat of their 94-90 loss in New York on Feb. 12. San Antonio lost its focus in the second half, clinging to a three-point lead early in the final quarter after blowing a 20-point lead.

"We had too many defensive breakdowns," said Spurs center Pau Gasol, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds. "They were getting in the paint too easily, which forced us to get bodies off other bodies. They got to many easy looks and they made the run."

Willy Hernangomez had a career-high 24 points and added 13 rebounds. Derrick Rose also scored 24 points and Mindaugas Kuzminskas had 19 points starting in place of Carmelo Anthony, who missed his second straight game with a sore left knee.

Kristaps Porzingis had 12 points while being limited to 26 minutes due to foul trouble. He picked up his third foul with 3 minutes remaining in the first quarter and his fifth a minute into the fourth but did not foul out.

San Antonio took an 18-point lead at halftime, but New York closed the third on a 13-4 run to cut the deficit to 78-74.

Mills had 10 points in the final quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers, to stop the Knicks' rally.

"He gave us energy," Leonard said. "He knocked down two big 3s."

TIP-INS

Knicks: Anthony has missed four games this season, including three because of a sore left knee. The other game he sat out was due to a sore right shoulder. ... New York is 11-29 in 2017, including four losing streaks of three games or more. ... New York's starting backcourt of Rose and Courtney Lee outscored San Antonio's Parker and Jonathon Simmons 30-16. Rose and Lee outscored Parker and Danny Green 27-6 in the team's first meeting.

Spurs: Leonard has scored in double figures in 99 straight games. ... Green was a late scratch, missing the game for rest. He has sat out two games for rest. ... The Spurs joined the Lakers and the Celtics as the only franchises with 55-plus wins in 20 seasons. ... Rookie point guard Dejounte Murray missed his eighth straight game with an injured left groin.

NO MOTIVATION NEEDED

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was bemused when a reporter asked if he had to motivate the Spurs late in the regular season considering they clinched a postseason berth three weeks prior.

"I've never talked to anyone about, `Hey, you've got to get up tonight, we've got a game,'" Popovich said. "I've never done that in 20 years. Why would I do that?"

If they get bored?

"Then I should play someone else," Popovich said. "If I have guys that are getting bored, then we'd probably have 10 wins. Why would you have somebody on your team that's getting bored? Getting paid a gazillion of bucks and they're bored?"

WORK IN PROGRESS

Porzingis said he is still learning how to play defensively after battling foul trouble.

"That's something that I've always had trouble with," second-year player said. "I try to be aggressive on defense, but I've got to find that balance where I'm still aggressive, but I'm not fouling. It's tough some games."

Porzingis was able to play the entire game despite playing the final 11 minutes with five fouls.

"I hate that he fouled, but I liked that he didn't just let them have a layup," coach Jeff Hornacek said. "He's still battling. He's trying not to give up easy shots."

UP NEXT

Knicks: Host Detroit on Monday night.

Spurs: Host Cleveland on Monday night.

Aldridge, Spurs look to avenge earlier loss to Knicks

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SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs will host the second in a series of games against teams they've lost to this season when the New York Knicks hit the Alamo City for a contest on Saturday at the AT&T Center.

The game is the second of a four-game homestand for San Antonio. In the first, the Spurs (55-16) finally found a way to beat Memphis after losing to the Grizzlies twice this season in Memphis, securing a 97-90 win with clutch play in the final minutes.

"Memphis is physical and they are really aggressive defensively," Spurs reserve guard Patty Mills said. "The game was a good preparation for us for the playoffs because that's how everyone plays."

With the victory, the Spurs crept back to within two games of idle Golden State for the best record in the NBA and the Western Conference.

The play of LaMarcus Aldridge was a key to the win on Thursday as he poured in 23 points and was a reliable scoring option for San Antonio to help offset the attention Memphis placed on slowing Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs' leading scorer.

Aldridge has been more aggressive with the ball in his five games back since he missed two contests with a minor heart arrhythmia. He has led the team in scoring in the Spurs' past two outings -- both of them wins.

"I'm just playing basketball and trying to be more dominant out there and taking my shots," Aldridge said. "I'm playing in the flow. I'm not being as passive as I was earlier in the year, and it's working out for me. I'm finding my rhythm out there, and my teammates are finding me."

The Knicks beat San Antonio 94-90 on Feb. 12 at Madison Square Garden. New York shot 64.3 percent from 3-point range (a Spurs' opponent season-best) in the win while holding San Antonio to 20.7 shooting from beyond the arc.

New York comes to south Texas off a 110-95 loss at Portland in which the Knicks never led.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points for the Knicks, who played without Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose, both of whom were in action the night before in a loss at Utah. New York was playing its third game in four nights.

Porzingis missed his first five shots from the field and ended up 8-for-21 overall, including 0-for-5 from 3-point range.

"The attention was more on me tonight," Porzingis said. "I had a lot of good looks and some open 3s, and I was disappointed to miss them all. I missed a lot of good shots, and (making them) would have changed the whole game for us."

The Knicks (27-45) closed to within 10 points late in the fourth quarter before Portland used a 10-0 run to put the verdict on ice.

New York coach Jeff Hornacek was encouraged by the second-half effort.

"It was about just playing hard, getting after it," Hornacek said. "You're going to make mistakes as a young player, but if you play hard, sometimes those are hidden. The guys did a better job in the second half of getting the ball in to (teammates) when they had the advantage."

NBA bans Joakim Noah 20 games for drug violation

Associated Press

Joakim Noah of the New York Knicks has been suspended 20 games without pay for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.

The NBA announced the suspension Saturday, saying Noah tested positive for Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator LGD-4033 – something that can be found in over-the-counter supplements.

Yahoo Sports first reported the suspension.

Noah has not played since Feb. 4 and was likely to miss the Knicks’ final 10 games this season because of a knee injury. The NBA said Noah’s suspension will begin with the ”first NBA regular season or playoff game for which he is eligible and physically able to play.”

Noah is in the first year of a four-year, $72 million contract. He averaged 5.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in 46 games this season, and has been limited to 75 games over the last two seasons.