Kevin Durant scores 41 points, Warriors rout Knicks 128-100
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 25 of his 41 points in Golden State's ruthless fourth-quarter clinic, and the Warriors beat the New York Knicks 128-100 on Friday night.
New York led by three after three quarters before Durant and the Warriors starting hitting from all over the floor, making 19 of 26 shots — and things went so well that on a rare long-range miss by Durant, the ball bounced all the way out behind the arc to a wide-open Stephen Curry, who made the 3-pointer.
Curry added 29 points and six 3-pointers, giving him at least five in every game this season. Durant was 17 of 24 from the floor, including 5 of 9 from behind the arc, and grabbed nine rebounds. Golden State outscored New York 47-16 in the fourth quarter.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 24 points for the Knicks. They have dropped five in a row after a season-opening victory over Atlanta.
HOUSTON (AP) — Montrezl Harrell scored a career-high 30 points off the bench to help Los Angeles rout short-handed Houston.
It was the Clippers' second win this season over the Rockets, who played without James Harden due to a hamstring injury and dropped to 1-4. Carmelo Anthony scored a season-high 24 points in his first start for the Rockets. Chris Paul had 12 points and eight assists against his former team in his return after serving a two-game suspension for his role in a fight with Lakers guard Rajon Rondo.
TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Lowry had 20 points and 12 assists, Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points and Toronto set a franchise record with its sixth straight win to start the season.
Jonas Valanciunas scored 17 points, Danny Green had 15 and Serge Ibaka 11 as the Raptors eclipsed the 5-0 start they recorded in 2015-16.
DeAndre Jordan had 18 points and 15 rebounds for Dallas. Luka Doncic scored 22 points, and Wesley Matthews had 21.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jrue Holiday highlighted a 26-point performance with a pull-up jumper near the foul line with 2 seconds left, Anthony Davis stole Brooklyn's last-gasp inbound pass, and New Orleans remained unbeaten by scoring nine straight over the last 1:49.
Holiday's clutch jumper gave New Orleans a one-point lead, but Brooklyn's Ed Davis was assessed a technical foul shortly after and Holiday made a free throw before Anthony Davis leapt to tip Joe Harris' inbound pass to himself as time ran out.
D'Angelo Russell hit six 3-pointers on his way to a 24-point performance for Brooklyn, but he committed a pivotal turnover with 7 seconds left when his pass intended for Caris LeVert sailed out of bounds. New Orleans quickly inbounded the ball to Holiday, who dribbled toward the key for his decisive 17-foot pull-up.
BUCKS 125, TIMBERWOLVES 95
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15 points and 12 rebounds in just 23 minutes and Milwaukee beat Minnesota to improve to 5-0 for the second time in franchise history.
The 1971-72 Bucks, led by Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, started 7-0.
Ersan Ilyasova and Khris Middleton each added 16 points. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 16 points for a listless Minnesota squad dealing with the distraction of star Jimmy Butler's trade request. Butler started despite being questionable with an illness and had a season-low four points on 2-of-11 shooting.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kemba Walker had 30 points on five more 3-pointers, and Charlotte beat Chicago for its first home victory of the season.
Walker bounced back from a season-low 23-point outing against the Bulls, shooting 11 of 18 from the field. He also had seven assists and six rebounds. The two-time All-Star has four games with at least five 3-pointers and his 29 3s are second only to Golden State's Stephen Curry.
Tony Parker added 18 points and eight assists to help the Hornets avenge a two-point loss in Chicago on Wednesday night. Zach LaVine had 20 points on 6-of-16 shooting for the Bulls.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Buddy Hield scored 22 points and made three free throws over the final 20 seconds to send Sacramento past Washington.
Nemanja Bjelica matched his career high of six 3-pointers and had 24 points and 12 rebounds for Sacramento. Willie Cauley-Stein also had a double-double with 17 points and 11 boards, while De'Aaron Fox added 17 points and nine assists.
The Wizards, who led by six going into the fourth quarter, committed three turnovers in the final 24 seconds.
John Wall scored 26 points with eight assists for the Wizards. Kelly Oubre had 22 points and nine rebounds, and Bradley Beal scored 21.
