PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Brunson hit four 3-pointers and scored 30 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 128-92 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.
Quentin Grimes added 18 points and Isaiah Hartenstein had 17 to help the Knicks to their third straight win. Donte DiVincenzo also made four 3s and scored 14 points.
Joel Embiid had 30 points and 10 rebounds for the Sixers. Embiid extended his franchise records to 16 straight 30-point games and 15 in a row of 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Still, the Knicks turned this one into a romp early and their fans only got louder as the game went on.
Miles McBride, who had 15 points, hit two 3s in the final 90 seconds of the first quarter for a 34-30 lead. Brunson took control from there, playing every bit like the star he’s blossomed into in the NBA.
Philly fans got a sneak peek of what was ahead in Brunson’s three seasons at Villanova. Against the 76ers, he buried three 3s and scored 16 points in the second quarter in the same arena where two Villanova national championship banners that he helped win are raised in the rafters. Fans in Brunson’s No. 1 Villanova jersey dotted the crowd.
PACERS 150, HAWKS 116
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton had 18 of Indiana’s franchise-record 50 assists and Indiana routed Atlanta on Friday night for their sixth straight victory.
Haliburton, the NBA assists leader at 12.8 per game, also had 10 points and eight rebounds in just over 25 minutes. Myles Turner led Indiana with 27 points, Montreal’s Bennedict Mathurin had 18, Bruce Brown 17 and Aaron Nesmith 15.
The NBA’s highest-scoring team, Indiana reached 150 points against the Hawks for the second time this season after setting a league season high in a 157-152 victory in Atlanta on Nov. 21.
Dejounte Murray led the Hawks with 30 points. Trae Young missed his first seven shots and finished with 13 points on 4-of-18 shooting. He was 1 of 11 from 3-point range.
The Pacers shot 71% in the first half and led 78-54 at the break. Indiana shot 64% overall while Atlanta was at 43%. Indiana was 19 of 39 from 3-point range.
CELTICS 126, JAZZ 97
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 30 points and hit five 3-pointers to help Eastern Conference-leading Boston run past Utah for its seventh victory in eight games.
Boston never trailed, led by 36 points in the first half and made 17 3s for the night. The Eastern Conference leaders earned their seventh victory in eight games.
Lauri Markkanen had 17 points for Utah, The Jazz had won three straight.
