NBA: Knicks, Cavaliers each win 6th straight

Jalen Brunson had 26 points and nine assists, Josh Hart added 23 points and 13 rebounds and the New York Knicks extended their winning streak to six games with a 108-85 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Knicks, who pulled away in the second half. Mikal Bridges, coming off a season-best 41-point game in a win over San Antonio on Christmas Day, added 17 points.

Jalen Suggs, limited to 26 minutes due to foul trouble, scored 27 points. Goga Bitadze had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Orlando, which dropped their second straight and lost for the fifth time in seven games.

The Magic, still without Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, shot 36.8 percent from the field and lost for the fourth time in six home games after opening 10-0 there.

With 6:23 left in the third quarter, Suggs fouled Brunson on a lane runner, which Brunson converted into a three-point play that tied the game at 63. Suggs had to sit with five fouls, and by the time he re-entered the game in the fourth quarter, the Knicks led 87-70.

Streaking Cavs overcome Jokic

Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points, Evan Mobley had 26 and the NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 149-135 for their sixth straight win.

Cleveland (27-4) set a season high in points and improved to 10-1 since dropping two in a row to Atlanta last month.

Nikola Jokić had 27 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists for his league-leading 12th triple-double of the season, and Jamal Murray also had 27 with 10 assists for Denver, which have dropped two in a row.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 13 of the Nuggets’ first 25 points to help keep pace with the Cavaliers but only scored five the rest of the way.

All five Cleveland starters made more than half of their field goal attempts and all but Dean Wade scored 20 or more points.

Denver allowed season highs in points and points in the first half (80).

With Denver leading 53-50 early in the third quarter, Darius Garland sparked a 16-0 run with nine of his 25 points that allowed the Cavaliers to take control. Their lead never dipped below double digits the rest of the way.

Edwards’ late 3 rallies Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards made a step-back 3-pointer with 23 seconds left to cap a furious rally and lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 113-112 win over the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets led by 12 with about three minutes left before a 10-0 run by the Timberwolves, highlighted by a 3-point play by Edwards, cut the lead to 110-108 with 90 seconds to go.

Alperen Sengun made 1 of 2 free throws after that, but Julius Randle's dunk on the other end got Minnesota within 1. Sengun was fouled a second time and again made just 1 of 2 free throws to leave Houston up 112-110.

Edwards then sunk the 3 to give Minnesota thei first lead since midway through the third quarter.

The Rockets had a chance for the win, but Fred VanVleet's 3-point attempt was off.

Randle had 27 points and Edwards added 24 as the Timberwolves won their second straight after losing three in a row.

Sengun had a season-high 38 points with 12 rebounds to lead the Rockets, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Minnesota won despite being outscored 66-40 in the paint.

Friday's scores
Orlando Magic 85, New York Knicks 108
Brooklyn Nets 87, San Antonio Spurs 96
Boston Celtics 142, Indiana Pacers 105
New Orleans Pelicans 124, Memphis Grizzlies 132
Houston Rockets 112, Minnesota Timberwolves 113
Denver Nuggets 135, Cleveland Cavaliers 149
Phoenix Suns 89, Dallas Mavericks 98
Los Angeles Clippers 102, Golden State Warriors 92