Towns shines in Knicks' win over Pacers

(AFP) The New York Knicks scored 41 second-quarter points in a 128-115 victory over the Indiana Pacers in an NBA showdown Tuesday that featured a stellar performance by Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns.

Towns scored 40 points on 14 of his 23 attempts on the court, and 12 rebounds. This is his fourth game of the season with at least 40 points.

At 29-year-old selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game helped the Knicks improve their record to 35 wins and 18 losses, putting the team in third place in the Eastern Conference, increasing the lead over Indiana.

Pascal Siakam was the leading scorer for the Pacers with 24 points, including three 3-pointers.

In a separate game, the Toronto Raptors ended their four-game losing streak with a 106-103 win against the Philadelphia 76ers. Scottie Barnes scored 33 points and made 10 rebounds.

Immanuel Quickley scored four of 11 three-pointers for the Raptors, who finished the game with 33% shooting accuracy from behind the three-point line (11/33).

Joel Embiid, who admitted he may need further surgery for his knee injury, played 38 minutes for the Sixers. He finished with a double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons beat the Chicago Bulls, 132-92 in a game played at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

The Pistons led by as many as 49 points, with Malik Beasley as the leading scorer with 24 points.