MINNEAPOLIS — Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points Tuesday night and the San Antonio Spurs improved to 13-0 on the road this season with a 105-91 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Leonard hit 11 of 15 shots after not scoring at all in the first quarter and reserve Patty Mills had 15 points for the Spurs (18-4), who played without Tony Parker, who has a bruised his left knee. San Antonio overcame a slow start to shoot 52.7 percent.
The Spurs moved past the 1969-70 New York Knicks to take sole possession of the second-best road start to begin a season in NBA history. The Golden State Warriors started 14-0 last year.
Zach LaVine scored 25 points for the Timberwolves. Karl-Anthony Towns had 11 points and 14 rebounds, but shot just 3 of 16.
KNICKS 114, HEAT 103: Carmelo Anthony matched a season high with 35 points and New York won at Miami.
Kristaps Porzingis had 14 points and 12 rebounds for New York, which is three games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2012-13 season. The Knicks lost Derrick Rose to back spasms in the third quarter.
MAGIC 124, WIZARDS 116: Elfrid Payton scored 22 of his season-high 25 points in the first half and Orlando overcame John Wall’s 52-point performance at Washington.
Wall had the highest-scoring game of his career and kept Washington in it with 33 points in the second half as the Wizards cut the lead below 10 in the fourth quarter. Wall made 18 of 31 from the field and added eight assists.
GRIZZLIES 96, 76ERS 91: Marc Gasol had 26 points and 12 rebounds for Memphis at home.
Memphis scored the game’s final seven points to erase Philadelphia’s lead with less than two minutes left, sending the Sixers to their eighth straight loss.
PISTONS 102, BULLS 91: Tobias Harris scored 22 points as Detroit won at Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Andre Drummond added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who won for the fourth time in five games.
NOTES
CAVALIERS: Starting shooting guard J.R. Smith will miss at least one game – and probably more – with a hyperextended left knee.
The Cavs said an MRI taken on Smith’s knee didn’t reveal any structural damage, but he will sit out Wednesday’s game against New York. Smith got hurt in Cleveland’s win in Toronto on Monday night.
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