The New York Knicks’ Donte DiVincenzo, left, passes to teammate Isaiah Hartenstein, front, during the first half of an NBA game in New York on Monday.
AP photo
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New York Knicks guard Josh Hart, right, shoots over the Detroit Pistons’ Jaden Ivey (23) during the first half of an NBA game in New York on Monday.
AP photo
New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo shoots during the first half of an NBA game against the Detroit Pistons in New York on Monday.
AP photo
NEW YORK — Donte DiVincenzo was on the verge of history and in a hurry to get there.
Needing one more 3-pointer to break a franchise record, DiVincenzo found himself a bit flustered by a crowd that wanted him to fire as soon as he touched the ball from wherever he was, the way fans usually respond to Stephen Curry.
“Yes, it’s an amazing feeling having the crowd behind you,” DiVincenzo said, “but also like every time you touch the ball, they’re like, ‘Shoot! Shoot!”
So he did, until he finally hit his franchise-record 11th 3-pointer. DiVinzenzo scored a career-best 40 points, leading the New York Knicks to a 124-99 rout of Detroit on Monday night for their 15th straight victory over the Pistons.
DiVincenzo broke the Knicks’ single-game record of 10 that was held by J.R. Smith and Evan Fournier, and moved into third in the NBA in 3-pointers made this season. He would have had one more, but one of his 3s in the third quarter was later overturned because he had first stepped out of bounds.
But the swingman stayed in the blowout long enough to get the record-setter with 3:16 remaining, then checked out shortly after to an ovation.
“Impressive, and he’s been doing it all year,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I thought his teammates helped create good shots for him, he knocked them down and played hard the whole game.”
Jalen Brunson added 28 points, and Josh Hart had 11 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in his sixth triple-double this season. The Knicks won for the sixth time in seven games and remained a half-game behind Cleveland for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Marcus Sasser scored 24 points for the NBA-worst Pistons, who lost their seventh straight and fell to 12-60. They shot 39% while playing without top player Cade Cunningham, along with Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, Simone Fontecchio and Isaiah Stewart because of injuries.
“I feel like it was just a bad shooting night for us and DiVincenzo got real hot,” Sasser said.
CAVALIERS 115, HORNETS 92
CLEVELAND — Evan Mobley scored 17 points, Jarrett Allen added 17 and 13 rebounds and the Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back from an embarrassing loss at Miami 24 hours earlier by beating the Charlotte Hornets.
Mobley also had a career-high eight assists and seven rebounds in only 25 minutes. It was his second game back after he was sidelined for nine by a sprained ankle.
The Cavs were blown out by 37 on Sunday by the Heat, who were up 45 at one point. The loss seemed to be rock bottom for a tired Cleveland team dealing with injuries and sliding backwards in the Eastern Conference standings.
But a matchup against the struggling Hornets was just what the Cavs needed to stop a three-game losing streak.
NETS 96, RAPTORS 88
TORONTO — Dennis Schroder scored 19 points against his former team, Trendon Watford had 11 of his season-high 19 points in the second quarter and Brooklyn snapped a six-game losing streak by beating the short-handed Toronto Raptors.
Mikal Bridges scored 13 points and Jalen Wilson added 12 as the Nets won for the first time since March 10 at Cleveland.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 18 points and Javon Freeman-Liberty had 15 for Toronto. The Raptors have lost 11 straight and are winless since a home victory over Charlotte on March 3.
HAWKS 120, CELTICS 118
ATLANTA — De’Andre Hunter scored 24 points, including a clinching 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds remaining, and the patched-together Atlanta Hawks rallied from a 30-point deficit Monday night for a stunning 120-118 victory over the NBA-leading Boston Celtics.
The Celtics had won 20 of 22 and brought a nine-game winning streak into State Farm Arena — a run that certainly appeared in no jeopardy when Al Horford’s 3-pointer put Boston up 68-28 with just under 4 1/2 minutes left in the first half.
But the Hawks, clinging to the final play-in spot in the East and one of the league’s most disappointing teams, launched a comeback out of nowhere with All-Star guard Trae Young and three other key players sidelined by injuries.
Bogdan Bogdanovic had 22 points and Murray chipped in with 19, but it was several players who are normally buried deep on the bench who really carried the Hawks.
The Celtics lost despite 37 points from Jayson Tatum. Brown added 24.
SPURS 104, SUNS 102
SAN ANTONIO — Jeremy Sochan hit a key 3-pointer in the final minute and finished with 26 points and a career-high 18 rebounds as San Antonio beat the Phoenix Suns with Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama sidelined due to injury.
Devin Vassell added 26 points for San Antonio and celebrated the victory by yelling into the house microphone after the game: “That’s a big win. That’s a big win.”
Devin Booker scored 36 points and Kevin Durant added 29 as Phoenix split a two-game set in San Antonio.
ROCKETS 110, TRAIL BLAZERS 92
HOUSTON — Jalen Green scored 27 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 110-92 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
It was the Rockets’ ninth straight win, their longest winning streak since 2019.
At 36-35, Houston is now just a half game behind Golden State for the final spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Green entered Monday tied for fourth in the NBA in scoring in March with 27.8 points per game on 51.4% shooting. Against Portland, he made 9 of 26 shots, including 4 of 12 from 3.
WIZARDS 107, BULLS 105
CHICAGO — Jordan Poole scored 23 points and the Washington Wizards won their season-high third straight game, beating the Chicago Bulls.
Corey Kispert added 19 points and 12 rebounds. Marvin Bagley III scored 16 and the Wizards — owners of the NBA’s second-worst record — got some payback for a 29-point blowout in Chicago last week.
DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 27 points. Coby White scored 22 as the Bulls lost their third in a row.
MAVERICKS 115, JAZZ 105
SALT LAKE CITY — Luka Doncic had 29 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz.
Kyrie Irving scored 27 points for the Mavericks, who earned their fourth consecutive victory. P.J. Washington had 16 points, and Daniel Gafford finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Lauri Markkanen made six 3-pointers and scored 34 points for Utah. Markkanen ranks third among NBA 7-footers with 1,001 made 3-pointers for his career in his seventh season.
John Collins added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Jazz, who lost to Dallas for the second time in five days. Collin Sexton had 20 points.
NUGGETS 128, GRIZZLIES 103
DENVER — Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, Christian Braun scored 17 points and the Denver Nuggets beat the Memphis Grizzlies.
Jokic, who left the game with 27 seconds remaining in the third quarter and Denver leading by 21 points, finished two assists shy of his 23rd triple-double of the season.
Lamar Stevens matched a season high with 19 points for the Grizzlies. Scotty Pippen Jr. added 17.
In the last two games between the teams, both in Denver, the Nuggets have won by a combined 62 points.