NEW YORK (AP) - Julius
Randle posted a game-high 32 points as the New York Knicks rallied from a 21-point first-half deficit to beat the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks 113-98 on Friday.
The Knicks outscored the Bucks 94-60 over the final three quarters to snap a two-game losing skid in front of a crowd of 17,300 at the Fiserv Forum.
“Obviously, you don’t want to get down like we did, but we did,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s a long game. You’ve got to keep fighting and get it to a manageable number.
“Once we got going a little bit and we made a couple hustle plays, it galvanized us and gave us energy.”
Randle went 11-for-22 from the field and added 12 rebounds, while RJ Barrett finished with 20 points to record his fifth straight game with at least 20 points.
Derrick Rose came off the bench to score 23 points as the Knicks dominated the Bucks 54-28 points in the paint.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
“It was a struggle. Defensively, we lost our identity,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We just didn’t play well after a good start.”
Elsewhere, Kevin Durant scored 29 points and added 10 rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets won their fourth straight game, holding on to beat the Detroit Pistons 96-90.
Durant also had five assists and LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 points for the Nets, who had to stave off a fourth-quarter Pistons rally for the win.
Durant became the first player in Nets history to score at least 20 points in the first nine games of a season.
Blake Griffin added 13 points and Bruce Brown chipped in 10 for the Nets. James Harden finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists but also committed nine turnovers.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 17 points. Kelly Olynyk contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Cory Joseph and Saddiq Bey added 12 points each.
Frank Jackson nailed two three-pointers as the Pistons began the fourth quarter with a 9-2 scoring surge.
Cunningham and Joseph then made three-pointers to pull Detroit within two at 88-86 with four minutes left in the game.
A Durant floater doubled the Nets’ lead but Cunningham answered with a three-pointer. Durant hit a mid-range jumper to make it 92-89.
Griffin then drew a charge against Pistons forward Bey and made an offensive rebound to set up Durant’s clinching layup with 12 seconds left on the clock.
In Washington, Montrezl Harrell scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Washington Wizards used a balanced scoring attack and a stifling defence to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 115-87.