Sabonis sharp again at MSG, Pacers beat Knicks 121-106

Domantas Sabonis had 22 points and 15 rebounds to cap his sizzling season at Madison Square Garden, and the Indiana Pacers easily bounced back from their worst performance of 2018-19 by beating the New York Knicks 121-106 on Friday night.

Sabonis shot 9 for 14 from the field to finish 21 of 26 this season in two games in New York. He made all 12 shots and tied his career high with 30 points when the Pacers won here on Halloween.

Starting this time with Myles Turner out of the lineup, he led six players in double figures as Indiana shot 52 percent.

New York Knicks guard Allonzo Trier (14) fouls Indiana Pacers guard Tyreke Evans during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP PhotoMary Altaffer)

Victor Oladipo added 19 points for the Pacers, who finished 3-2 on their longest road trip of the season. They were beaten badly in Boston on Wednesday, yielding season highs of 135 points and 56.8 percent shooting in their 27-point loss.

They came out either with more energy or anger Friday. Oladipo threw down a dunk over Mario Hezonja, and Sabonis and Bojan Bogdanovic both had powerful slams in the first half.

Bogdanovic had 15 points.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyreke Evans (12) shoots over New York Knicks guard Allonzo Trier (14) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP PhotoMary Altaffer)

Emmanuel Mudiay scored 21 points for the Knicks, back from a lengthy, six-game road trip and playing their first game at Madison Square Garden since Christmas. They lost their seventh straight at home.

The Pacers led much of the first half and were ahead by 13 points early in the second quarter. New York battled back to take the lead on Tim Hardaway Jr.'s second straight 3-pointer, but with the game tied, Indiana scored the final 12 points, with Oladipo hitting consecutive 3-pointers, to make it 64-52 at halftime.

Indiana then controlled the early stages of the third quarter, with Bogdanovic opening and closing a 16-7 spurt out of the locker room to open an 80-59 cushion.

TIP-INS

Pacers: Turner has a sore right shoulder. ... The Pacers have won the last five meetings. ... Indiana now plays five straight and six of its next seven at home.

Knicks: New York played without Enes Kanter (illness), Frank Ntilikina (sprained left ankle) and Mitchell Robinson (sprained left ankle). ... Kevin Knox was presented with the Eastern Conference rookie of the month award for December before the game. ... The Knicks celebrated Croatian heritage night. Hezonja and Bogdanovic are Croatian, with Bogdanovic the leading scorer in the 2016 Olympics with 25.3 points per game.

PORZINGIS PROGRESS

Knicks coach David Fizdale said the team is leaning toward leaving Kristaps Porzingis home next week when the Knicks travel to London to play Washington, believing that is better for the All-Star forward's rehabilitation from his torn ACL than traveling. Fizdale said he spoke Friday with Porzingis, who is scheduled to be re-evaluated in about a month. He said Porzingis' spirits were positive.

"Obviously he misses playing, that part has been hard," Fizdale said, "but he's starting to get stronger, so he's feeling better. And he seems to be in a really good place."

STOMACH SICKNESS?

Kanter posted a video of his "cheat day" meal on Wednesday, with seven burgers and a plate of fries on the table in front of him. He then missed practice Thursday and the game Friday because of illness, leading to speculation that he had ate himself sick. But Fizdale thought there was no way Kanter actually ate all that food.

"The guy walks around with his shirt off all day in the locker room. There's no way he's stuffing seven burgers down his face. I just don't see that," Fizdale said. "I think sometimes people take the 'gram too seriously."

UP NEXT

Pacers: Host Phoenix on Tuesday.

Knicks: Host Philadelphia on Sunday.

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 31 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Suggs added 24 points and the Orlando Magic handed Cleveland the worst playoff loss in franchise history, winning 121-83 on Thursday night to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Franz Wagner finished with 16 points and eight assists for the Magic, who led by 43 points in the fourth quarter on the way to the third-largest margin of victory in a playoff game. They earned their first playoff victory since 2019 and the first on their home floor since April 26, 2011.

They can even the series with a victory at home Sunday.

Jarrett Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who shot 39% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range. Caris LeVert added 15 points and Donovan Mitchell had 13 points and seven assists.

76ERS 125, KNICKS 114

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter to lead Philadelphia to a win over New York in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the 76ers dropped Game 2.

With one of the finest postseason efforts of his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a Philadelphia series comeback very much alive.

The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor overall, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers.

NUGGETS 112, LAKERS 105

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, and Denver moved to the brink of the second round with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round series..

Jamal Murray scored 22 points as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th consecutive meeting with LeBron James and the Lakers in dominating style.

Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points for Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the final minutes to its fifth straight road win over Los Angeles, starting with its sweep of last season’s Western Conference finals.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Los Angeles. No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 playoff deficit.

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) makes a shot as he gets past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)