Amare Stoudemire scored 22 points and J.R. Smith added 18 as the New York Knicks overcame a 22-point deficit without All-Star Carmelo Anthony to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-97 on Monday.
Steve Novak made three of New York’s seven three-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Knicks rallied and shook off a tough home loss on Sunday, when they blew a 16-point lead to Miami.
The Knicks trailed 52-30 in the second quarter when Anthony injured his right knee. He stumbled and fell awkwardly after catching a pass, and did not return.
Photo: Reuters
Kyrie Irving scored 22 points on his return after missing Cleveland’s previous three games with a hyperextended right knee.
MAGIC 105, HORNETS 102
In New Orleans, Arron Afflalo scored five of his game-high 26 points in the final 38 seconds as Orlando snapped a three-game skid.
Jameer Nelson, returning from a left-knee injury that sidelined him for six games, scored 15 points and Tobias Harris also scored 15 for Orlando, who trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half and erased a nine-point deficit during the final 3 minutes, 15 seconds.
Afflalo scored 11 of his points in the fourth quarter, including an 11-foot turnaround over Eric Gordon in the lane that gave Orlando the lead for good at 101-100.
Afflalo hit two free throws soon after to make it 103-100, but found himself back on the free-throw line in a one-point game with 12 seconds left after Anthony Davis’ tip-in made it 103-102.
Afflalo missed the second of two free throws, but Harris got the offensive rebound and hit one of two free throws to make it a three-point game with 10.6 seconds left.
BUCKS 109, JAZZ 108, OT
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Monta Ellis scored 34 points, while Brandon Jennings added 20 points and 17 assists as Milwaukee beat Utah in overtime.
J.J. Redick scored 17 for the Bucks, including their first eight in overtime.
Milwaukee won their fourth consecutive game after dropping three in a row following the All-Star break.
Larry Sanders chipped in with eight points, 16 rebounds and six blocked shots for Milwaukee.
Derrick Favors tied a career-high with 23 points and added 15 rebounds for Utah, who lost for the fourth time in five games.
Paul Millsap had 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Alec Burks added 19 points and Enes Kanter had 18 points.
NUGGETS 104, HAWKS 88
In Denver, Colorado, Corey Brewer scored 22 points and Ty Lawson had 18 in Denver’s win over Atlanta.
The Nuggets won their 11th straight game at the Pepsi Center and matched Miami’s NBA-best 26-3 home record, but for most of three quarters it was not the cakewalk many expected against a banged-up, tired team playing the final clash of a six-game trip.
Eventually, they ran out of gas and bodies, though.
Al Horford scored 18 points for Atlanta, while Josh Smith chipped in 15 points, becoming the 24th player in league history to collect 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocks.
His milestone came on a night when many of his teammates were spectators, as the Hawks were without Kyle Korver (toe), Zaza Pachulia (sore right Achilles) and DeShawn Stevenson, who skipped the second game of the back-to-back like he normally does because of balky knees.
WARRIORS 125, RAPTORS 118
In Oakland, California, David Lee had 29 points and 11 rebounds to back Andrew Bogut’s strong return as Golden State snapped a four-game losing streak by outlasting Toronto.
Stephen Curry added 26 points and tied a season-high with 12 assists, while Klay Thompson scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors pull away with a 9-0 run late on.
Bogut had four points and eight rebounds in a season-high 30 minutes after missing the previous six games because of a bad back.
Andrea Bargnani scored 26 points and tied a career-high with five three-pointers, while Amir Johnson added 23 points and 15 rebounds in Toronto’s fifth straight loss.
Kyle Lowry finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, while Rudy Gay scored 26 points after missing the Raptors’ loss at Milwaukee on Saturday night with back spasms.
TRAIL BLAZERS 122, BOBCATS 105
In Portland, Oregon, LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points and 14 rebounds as Portland handed Charlotte their seventh straight loss.
Nicolas Batum and Damian Lillard each finished with 20 points for the Blazers, who had seven players in double figures and shot nearly 60 percent from the field.
Meyers Leonard, Portland’s rookie center, came off the bench to score a season-high 15 points.
Ramon Sessions had 18 points off the bench for the Bobcats, who have an NBA-low 13 wins this season.
Rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 17 points.
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