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Derrick Rose helps Knicks beat Magic 106-95

Associated PressDec 23, 2016, 2:45 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) Derrick Rose scored 19 points, Kyle O'Quinn had 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, and the New York Knicks beat the Orlando Magic 106-95 on Thursday night.

Carmelo Anthony and Willy Hernangomez each had 15 points for New York, which has won two in a row since a three-game losing streak. Kristaps Porzingis scored 12 points and reserve Brandon Jennings had 12 assists in 22 minutes.

Orlando led only once, 12-11 on D.J. Augustin‘s short jumper with 6:13 left in the first quarter. The Knicks responded with a 16-5 run for a 27-17 lead.

Serge Ibaka led the Magic with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Evan Fournier scored 21 points.

Ibaka connected on a hook shot and Fournier made a layup to get Orlando within seven with 1:16 left in the third.

The Magic trailed 82-74 lead early in the fourth when the Knicks started to pull away. Hernangomez made three jumpers and a layup to help New York to a 90-76 lead with 9:13 to go.

Justin Holiday‘s 3-pointer with 5:52 remaining extended New York’s lead to 98-80.

Orlando closed to 104-95 on Jeff Green‘s free throws with 1:29 left, but Rose scored with 1:08 remaining to help the Knicks close it out.

Green, Nikola Vucevic and Elfrid Payton each scored 10 points for the Magic.

TIP-INS

Magic: Ibaka was 10 for 18 from the field, including a 3-for-7 performance from 3-point range. … Orlando dropped to 8-8 on the road this season compared to only 5-10 at home. … The Magic lead the all-time series against the Knicks 52-51.

Knicks: Courtney Lee scored 10 points. … The Knicks are 14-1 when leading after three quarters this season.

JUST GETTING STARTED

It was the first of four meetings between the teams this season. They face each other again on Jan. 2 back at Madison Square Garden.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The Knicks improved to 11-4 at home. They are 10-2 in their last 12 games at Madison Square Garden.

UP NEXT

Magic: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The teams will meet again on Jan. 8 in Los Angeles.

Knicks: Face Boston on Christmas Day in the finale of New York’s three-game homestand. The teams played in Boston on Nov. 11, with the Celtics posting a 115-87 win.

Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant ejected at end of loss to Grizzlies

By Kurt HelinOct 22, 2017, 8:00 AM EDT

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Stephen Curry is going to get fined for this.

The former MVP was frustrated, his team losing and thinking he was fouled by Mike Conley as he attacked the rim late in the Warriors loss in Memphis Saturday night. Curry threw his mouthpiece at the referee, which deservedly got him ejected instantly.

Durant followed him to the locker room, making a gesture that will earn him a fine as well.

The Warriors are 1-2 to start the season and there are a lot of factors at play. The China trip does this to teams, and throw in three straight trips to the Finals on top of it and it has an impact. The team is a little banged up. However, the biggest issue is their defense is a mess right now.

The Warriors will straighten it out eventually, but the start of the season could be a rough one for them.

Pacers owner says team not for sale, will not be moved from Indianapolis

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By Kurt HelinOct 21, 2017, 10:35 PM EDT

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There are more than a few NBA owners who are seeing the prices teams are being sold for — the Rockets just sold for a record $2.2 billion — and considering their options. Some other billionaires are looking for teams, several with the goal of packing up the franchise and moving it to their respected hometowns.

Those billionaires need not call Herb Simon. The Pacers owner said the team is not going anywhere, speaking to Gregg Doyel of the IndyStar.

“I want to leave my legacy: This team permanently in Indianapolis,” Simon told IndyStar Friday in an interview at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. “That’s my No. 1 goal.”

Simon bought the Pacers in 1983 with his older brother, Melvin — who died in 2009 at age 82. He told IndyStar the team someday will be owned by his 53-year-old son, Steve. Behind the scenes, Steve Simon has been working closely with Pacers Sports and President Rick Fuson for five years — “He knows more about the dollars and cents than I do,” Herb said of his son — and met this week with several department heads.

“If anything happens to me, he’d be taking over,” Herb said, adding that father and son are on the same page: The Pacers are staying in Indianapolis.

Good. That is as it should be.

Indiana is part of America’s basketball heartland, and it should have a team. Pacers fans are smart and loyal, and the team has a long history going back to the ABA, running from Mel Daniels and George McGinnis through Reggie Miller and up to Myles Turner (hopefully he can be on the level of the rest of them someday). They play in the coolest basketball building in the league, one with the history of the sport wolven in.

Indy is the nation’s 27th largest television market, bigger than San Antonio, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City and other successful NBA franchises. There is no reason the Pacers cannot thrive, so long as ownership is committed.

They are. Which is excellent news for Pacers’ fans.

Stan Van Gundy speaks out again in support of protesting athletes

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Associated PressOct 21, 2017, 8:25 PM EDT

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy used his team’s trip to Washington to again voice his support for athletes who kneel during the national anthem and his opposition to President Donald Trump.

Van Gundy was asked before Friday night’s game against the Wizards what he hoped would result from the president’s criticism of NFL players who refuse to stand for the anthem and the resulting national dialogue about political activism by professional athletes.

“I don’t know what good can come out of anything the president has said,” Van Gundy said. “As far as the athletes’ protest, I hope people would pay attention to the issues that caused the protest in the first place and realize that we have problem disproportionately with police brutality towards men of color.”

Van Gundy also criticized fans who have booed those athletes because they believe the gesture is disrespectful to the United States military.

“I thought that one of the things the military is fighting for is the American way of life and our values, which I think starts with freedom of speech,” Van Gundy said. “Our country was founded on protest. Otherwise, we would still be a colony of England. You would think people would appreciate non-violent protests that will be made.

“If you don’t stand for freedom of speech and you don’t think those players have the right to freedom of speech, what American values are you for?”

It was not the first time Van Gundy has spoken out on these issues. When Trump was elected last November, Van Gundy told the Detroit Free Press it was the first time he had been “ashamed” of his country.

Last month on the team’s media day, he read a prepared statement in support of athletes who use their visibility for political purposes, including protests during the anthem. The NBA has a policy requiring that players stand for the anthem.

The Pistons’ visit to Washington was their first since Jan. 21, one day after Trump’s inauguration.

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More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Cavaliers’ Derrick Rose out Saturday with sprained left ankle

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Associated PressOct 21, 2017, 7:49 PM EDT

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers point guard Derrick Rose was held out of Saturday night’s game against the Orlando Magic because of a sprained left ankle.

Rose twisted his ankle after being fouled by Milwaukee’s Greg Monroe while driving to the basket in the fourth quarter on Friday. Monroe grabbed Rose by his neck and pulled him to the floor.

Rose landed awkwardly, but stayed in the game to shoot two free throws before going to the bench. The play was originally called a common foul but was upgraded to a flagrant 1 Saturday by the NBA.

Jose Calderon started at point guard Saturday for the Cavaliers, who have won their first two games.

Rose signed a one-year contract with Cleveland in July. He became the team’s starter when Kyrie Irving was traded to Boston. Rose was named the league’s MVP in 2011 while with the Chicago Bulls, but has battled injuries since.