Karl-Anthony Towns leads Knicks past Pistons 111-97 for their first win

NEW YORK (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 20 rebounds, and the New York Knicks avoided what would have been the second 0-4 start by a defending champion in NBA history by beating the previously undefeated Detroit Pistons 111-97 on Tuesday night.

Jalen Brunson shook free of his shooting struggles in a dominant third quarter that resembled the Knicks of last spring, not the team whose three losses in three games were as many as they had in 19 games during last season’s run to the title.

Brunson finished with 23 points and Mikal Bridges made his first four 3-pointers of the season and scored 12 in the Knicks’ first victory since Game 5 of the NBA Finals. New York then fell to Philadelphia, Boston and Orlando, and another loss would have matched the 1969-70 Boston Celtics for the most to start a season after winning a title.

But the Knicks blew open the game by outscoring the Pistons 37-13 in the third quarter to open a 25-point cushion against the team who handled them better than anyone else last season.

Cade Cunningham had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the 3-1 Pistons. Detroit beat New York by scores of 121-90, 118-80 and 126-111 in 2025-26, and had won the last six meetings in the regular season.

Paul Reed had 22 points and nine rebounds starting in place of injured center Jalen Duren for the Pistons, who were seeking their first 4-0 start since 2018-19.

SPURS 130, KINGS 103

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 29 points and 10 rebounds and San Antonio beat Sacramento for its first home victory of the season.

Julian Champagnie added 26 points on 8-for-13 3-point shooting as San Antonio evened its record at 2-2 after opening with disappointing home losses to Oklahoma City and Houston.

Veteran center Domantas Sabonis scored 20 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists for winless Sacramento. De’Andre Hunter added 24 points and Zach LaVine had 22 points.

The Spurs were 17 for 37 on 3-pointers, surpassing the 15 they made against the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 24 in their only previous victory.

Dylan Harper had 13 points, six rebounds and six assists for San Antonio.

All five Spurs starters were in double figures in their highest offensive output of the season.

CELTICS 125, NETS 124, OT

BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum buried a 17-foot jumper at the overtime buzzer to cap a 40-point night, and Boston beat Brooklyn for its third straight victory.

Tatum finished 10 of 20 from the field and 18 of 22 from the free-throw line. Paul George added 20 points and Derrick White scored 16 for the Celtics, who have not lost since they blew a 22-point lead in their season opener at Detroit.

Michael Porter Jr. had 27 points and 12 rebounds for Brooklyn (0-4), and Julius Randle scored 24 points.

Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr. made a tying 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining in regulation. But in OT, he missed a layup with 2.3 seconds left to set up Tatum for the winning basket. Brown, the sixth pick in the NBA draft out of Louisville, finished with 17 points.

Boston’s Mitchell Robinson missed two free throws with 3 seconds left in regulation, giving Brooklyn a chance at the tying 3. Robinson, a career 50.7% free-throw shooter, went 1 of 4 from the line and is 2 of 8 this season.

TRAIL BLAZERS 136, LAKERS 129

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ja Morant and Deni Avdija scored 23 points apiece, Damian Lillard added 21 and hit a clutch 3-pointer with 43 seconds to play, and Portland remained unbeaten with a victory over Los Angeles.

Luka Doncic had 41 points and nine assists in the Lakers’ first loss of the season.

Jrue Holiday scored 22 points for the Blazers, who are off to the franchise’s second 3-0 start in the last 15 years. Portland stayed perfect under new coach Micah Nori by finishing on a 15-8 run.

Austin Reaves scored 26 points for the Lakers, and Sandro Mamukelashvili added 17.

Portland took an eight-point lead early in the fourth quarter before Doncic returned from the bench to lead the Lakers’ comeback. Lillard and Avdija made back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minutes, but Doncic and Ziaire Williams matched them to keep it close.

Morant hit midrange jumpers on consecutive possessions to put Portland up by five, and Lillard clinched the win with his fourth 3-pointer. The 36-year-old veteran had another big night against the Lakers despite uncharacteristically missing four free throws.

Doncic hit six 3-pointers against Portland in another big offensive game after his 52-point performance at Utah last weekend — his 10th time topping the 50-point mark in less than two years with the Lakers. He also played noticeably engaged defense, but the Blazers’ balanced scoring and big baskets down the stretch were too much.