Hardaway tows Pistons past Cavaliers

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 32 points to lead Detroit to a 133-122 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, a triumph that assured the Pistons of their first winning National Basketball Association season since 2016.

Hardaway connected on seven of 11 from three-point range on the way to his season-high, leading seven Pistons players to score in double figures.

That included Ausar Thompson with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Dennis Schroder with 17 points and 10 assists as Detroit improved to 42-32 — tripling their win total from last season.

They had to do it without Cade Cunningham, who missed a third straight game with a bruised calf, and Tobias Harris, who was a late scratch with Achilles tendon trouble.

The Pistons withstood a 38-point performance from Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell, who helped the Cavs erase a 21-point deficit to close within two with 3:31 to play.

Detroit responded with a 12-1 run to seal the win, which most importantly pushed their lead for fifth place in the East to one and a half games over the Milwaukee Bucks, who fell 116-107 to the New York Knicks.

OG Anunoby scored 20 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter for the Knicks, who handed the Bucks a third straight defeat despite 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists from Giannis Antetokounmpo — who returned after missing one game with a foot sprain.

Golden State superstar Stephen Curry scored 23 points in his return from a two-game absence with a pelvic contusion, lifting the Warriors to a 111-95 victory over the Pelicans in New Orleans.