Cunningham helps Pistons beat Knicks 121-90

DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 29 points and 13 assists as the Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks 121-90 on Monday night.

It was the first meeting between the teams since May 1, when the Knicks eliminated the Pistons 116-113 in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series. Detroit’s win in Game 2 ended their NBA-record 15-game postseason losing streak.

Javonte Green scored 17 points and Jaden Ivey added 16 points for Detroit, which finished with a 52-34 edge in points in the paint and a 44-30 rebounding advantage.

Jalen Brunson had 25 points for the Knicks, who lost their fourth straight game. Miles McBride scored 17, but Mikal Bridges (10) was the only other New York player to reach double digits.

CELTICS 115, BULLS 101

BOSTON (AP) — Anfernee Simons scored 27 points, Payton Pritchard had 21 and Boston held Chicago to 33 points in the opening half of a victory.

Neemias Queta added 13 points and 13 rebounds for Boston, which won its fourth straight game and for the eighth time in nine games.

Jaylen Brown was held to 14 points on 6-of-24 shooting, one game after tying his career-high with 50 points in a victory at the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Matas Buzelis scored 26 to lead the Bulls, who were nearly held under 100 points in their second straight loss after falling at home against Charlotte on Saturday.

RAPTORS 118, HAWKS 100

TORONTO (AP) — Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles scored 17 points as Toronto beat Atlanta.

Murray-Boyles added seven rebounds and seven assists for Toronto (22-15) in place of injured starter Jakob Poeltl (back strain). Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic confirmed before that game that Poeltl had been cleared for contact.

Scottie Barnes finished with 18 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as the Raptors beat the Hawks for the second straight game. Toronto defeated Atlanta 134-117 on Saturday.

Brandon Ingram had 19 points and nine rebounds as seven Toronto players reached double digits in scoring.

Jalen Johnson had 13 points and 14 rebounds and Onyeka Okongwu finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds for Atlanta (17-21).

HORNETS 124, THUNDER 97

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 28 points, and Charlotte stunned the NBA-leading Oklahoma City..

Kon Knueppel added 23 points for the Hornets, who had lost three of four before giving Oklahoma City its worst loss of the season. It was a season-low point total for the Thunder and the only time this season they have failed to scored 100 points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points for his 108th straight game with at least 20 points, the second-longest streak in NBA history. He made just 7 of 21 field goals, and while he’s known for sitting out fourth quarters because the Thunder are far ahead, he sat out the fourth this time because they were so far behind.

ROCKETS 100, SUNS 97

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 26 points and his 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to go lifted Houston to a win over Phoenix.

The game was tied when Durant drained the 27-footer to give the Rockets the victory over his former team. Durant joined the Rockets from Phoenix this summer in a blockbuster trade that sent Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green to the Suns.

Devin Booker’s 3-point attempt bounced off the rim after Durant gave Houston the lead to end it.

The Suns had a chance to take the lead before Durant’s game winner, but Booker’s 3-point attempt was off. Phoenix got the rebound, but the shot clock expired, giving Houston the ball with 5.1 seconds to go.

Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. added 17 points each to help Houston to its fifth win in six games.

Booker scored 27 points and Brooks had 15 for the Suns, whose two-game winning streak ended.

NUGGETS 125, 76ERS 124, OT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bruce Brown scored 19 points and got the winning bucket in overtime off a goaltending call on Joel Embiid, and Jalen Pickett had 29 points to lead short-handed Denver to a win over Philadelphia.

Embiid was whistled for the decisive goaltend when he tried to block Brown’s running layup with 5.3 seconds left. Tyrese Maxey missed a winning floater for the Sixers at the horn.

Embiid scored 32 points — the fourth time in his last eight games he has scored 30 — and Maxey had 28

The Nuggets played without three-time MVP Nikola Jokic — out at least until the end of the month with a with a hyperextended left knee — Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and others a night after a loss at Brooklyn.

The entire regular starting lineup sat out, and the Nuggets had only nine available players.

Peyton Watson added 24 points for Denver.

TRAIL BLAZERS 137, JAZZ 117

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Deni Avdija had 33 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in three quarters, falling just short of his second consecutive triple-double, and Portland routed Utah.

Shaedon Sharpe scored 29 for the Trail Blazers (17-20), who have won three straight games and five of six. Donovan Clingan pulled down 17 rebounds to go with 12 points.

Avdija, the reigning Western Conference player of the week, played nearly 29 minutes before sitting out the fourth quarter as Portland nursed a comfortable lead. The 6-foot-8 forward from Israel had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on his 25th birthday Saturday night in a 115-110 victory at San Antonio.

Lauri Markkanen scored 22 points for the Jazz (12-23), and Jusuf Nurkic had 21 points and 12 boards after missing two games with a sprained toe on his left foot. Utah has dropped four in a row and eight of 10.

CLIPPERS 103, WARRIORS 102

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had 24 points and 12 rebounds, rookie Kobe Sanders added 20 points, and Los Angeles edged Golden State in a wild game that included Warriors coach Steve Kerr getting ejected and Steph Curry fouling out for the first time since 2021.

Kerr was ejected with 7:57 remaining in the game after becoming irate when the Clippers’ John Collins wasn’t called for goaltending. A shouting Kerr pursued the referees along the sideline and had to be restrained by his assistants before getting tossed.

Curry scored 27 points but was just 4 for 15 from 3-point range and 9 for 23 overall before fouling out with 42 seconds remaining in the game. He fouled out for the first time since Dec. 17, 2021, at Boston.

James Harden was a late scratch for the Clippers because of right shoulder soreness. But they got double-figure scoring from all five starters, including Sanders, whose points were a career high. Collins added 18 points and Kris Dunn had 16. Ivica Zubac had 11 rebounds.

Jimmy Butler added 24 points for the Warriors, who lost to the Clippers for the eighth straight time on the road.