CLEVELAND (AP) — Ty Jerome scored 27 points in the first half and finished with a career-high 29 as the Cleveland Cavaliers never trailed in a 128-100 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Jerome, starting in place of injured point guard Darius Garland, had 20 points in the second quarter and buried seven 3-pointers before halftime. Cleveland is off to the best start in franchise history at 16-1.
Georges Niang added 20 points and first-round pick Jaylon Tyson had 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in his first pro start for the Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Rookie forward Antonio Reeves, who averaged 2.9 points per game, scored 34 points, and Brandon Boston Jr. had 14 points for the injury-riddled Pelicans.
BUCKS 122, BULLS 106
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as Milwaukee beat Chicago.
Brook Lopez scored 21 points, Damian Lillard had 20 points and 10 assists, and AJ Green added 18 points to help the Bucks win for the fourth time in five games following a 2-8 start.
Zach Lavine scored 27 points to lead Chicago. Torrey Craig added 15, while Nikola Vucevic and Coby White had 14 each.
The Bucks led by 18 and seemed to be in control after a 16-0 run from the end of the first quarter and into the second, but the Bulls chipped away and pulled within one point in the third. The score remained close until midway through the fourth when the Bucks once again pulled away with Antetokounmpo dominating inside.
The Bucks held a 54-34 advantage in the paint.
ROCKETS 130, PELICANS 113
HOUSTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun had a season-high 31 points with 12 rebounds to lead Houston to a win over Indiana.
The Rockets used a big run in the third quarter to push the lead to 21 entering the fourth and cruised to their sixth victory in seven games.
Jabari Smith Jr. added 23 points for the Rockets for his second 20-point game in the last four, and Fred VanVleet had 18 points and six assists.
Quenton Jackson had a career-high 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting for the Pacers, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Pascal Siakam had 19 points at halftime but only scored two more points the rest of the way.
GRIZZLIES 117, 76ERS 111
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. had 25 points, Desmond Bane added 21 points and 10 rebounds and Memphis set a season-high with 19 3-pointers in a win over Philadelphia.
Jaylen Wells added 14 points for Memphis as Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins became the winningest coach in franchise history.
Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 35 points and 11 rebounds, but Philadelphia lost its fifth straight. Rookie Jared McCain finished with 20 points, while Guerschon Yabusele added 17 points.
Memphis, which led 115-100 with 3:15 left, had to withstand a late Philadelphia rally to capture the victory.
THUNDER 109, TRAIL BLAZERS 99
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Jalen Williams scored 30 points, Isaiah Hartenstein had a double-double in his season debut, and Oklahoma City beat Portland.
Hartenstein, a free agent pickup who played for the New York Knicks last season, had been out with a broken bone in his left hand. He had 13 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in 29 minutes and provided rim protection and bulk for a team that has struggled with injuries in the frontcourt.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 points for the Thunder. He made just 7 of 19 field goals, but he made all 14 of his free throws to help Oklahoma City snap a two-game losing streak.
Alex Caruso scored 17 points to help Oklahoma City’s bench outscore Portland’s 44-31.
Shaedon Sharpe led Portland with 21 points and Toumani Camara and Jerami Grant each added 14 for the Trail Blazers.
KNICKS 138, SUNS 122
PHOENIX (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 36 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 34 and New York beat Phoenix for their fourth straight win.
All five Knicks starters scored in double figures. Josh Hart had 19 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Devin Booker scored 33 points on 12-for-23 shooting and Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the injury-depleted Suns, who have lost five straight.
New York never trailed, hitting its first eight shots, including four 3-pointers. The Knicks carried that momentum to a 44-28 advantage after one quarter and a 76-58 lead at halftime. Brunson had 23 points before the break on 8-for-9 shooting, including hitting all four 3s.
The Suns cut the deficit to 88-77 midway through the third quarter, but the Knicks responded with an 11-2 run.
WARRIORS 120, HAWKS 97
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points, Stephen Curry added 23 points and eight assists and Golden State beat Atlanta.
Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Buddy Hield contributed 11 points off the bench.
Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Trae Young also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 assists.
Draymond Green, who had made multiple 3-pointers in each of the past five games, went 0 for 4 from deep and had nine points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Warriors. Green and Wiggins each had two blocked shots.
CLIPPERS 104, MAGIC 93
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — James Harden scored 24 points and Los Angeles won their sixth game in a row at their new arena, beating Orlando.
Harden shot just 5 of 14 from the field, but he made 11 of 12 free throws to go with seven rebounds and five assists. Amir Coffey scored 18 points and Ivica Zubac added 17 on 8-of-11 shooting and 12 rebounds.
The Magic had their six-game winning streak snapped after holding every opponent under 100 points during that span.
Anthony Black had 17 points and eight assists off the bench to lead five Magic players in double figures. Jalen Suggs added 16 points.
The Associated Press
