NBA: Harden's team beats Knicks; Kuminga and Murray make their debuts

The Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a convincing win Tuesday over the New York Knicks in a showdown of Eastern contenders, while Dejounte Murray had his first game of the season and Jonathan Kuminga shined in his debut with Atlanta.

These were some of the most notable highlights of the day in the NBA.

Cleveland catches New York in the standings

In Cleveland, the Cavaliers continue their rise led by newly added James Harden, again decisive in a 109-94 win over the Knicks.

The veteran guard scored 20 points, including four three-pointers, on a night when Cleveland controlled the game from the start.

Donovan Mitchell contributed 23 points and Jarrett Allen added 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Thanks to the offensive heft and experience of the 36-year-old Harden, the Cavs have won six of their last seven games and on Tuesday caught the Knicks in the standings, where both occupy third place in the East with a 37-22 record.

"We're working to build something special, and every game is an opportunity to get better," Harden said. "We took a good step today."

New York, meanwhile, deepened its inconsistency with four losses in its last eight games. In Cleveland, they ran into solid interior defense led by Allen and Evan Mobley, especially in a third quarter in which they could only score 11 points.

Jalen Brunson finished with 20 points, although with a discreet series of 6-of-19 shooting from the field, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 14 points.

Kuminga's best moment

After a month out due to injury, Congolese Jonathan Kuminga made his debut for the Atlanta Hawks in the 119-98 win over the Washington Wizards.

In just 24 minutes on the court, Kuminga poured in 27 points -his season-high - along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists coming off the bench.

The 23-year-old forward is seeking vindication after leaving the Golden State Warriors this month, a team he spent five seasons with without gaining the full confidence of Steve Kerr.

Another notable return Tuesday was that of Dejounte Murray, star of the New Orleans Pelicans, who played his first minutes of the year 13 months after rupturing his Achilles tendon. The All-Star point guard, 29, returned as a starter and scored 13 points in 25 minutes in the 113-109 win over the Warriors, who remain without Stephen Curry.

The 200 three-pointers made in less time

Another of Tuesday's spotlights was Kon Knueppel, rookie of the Charlotte Hornets, who became the fastest player to reach 200 three-pointers in NBA history.

The 20-year-old shooting guard reached that figure in just 58 games, averaging 3.5 three-pointers per game. Picked fourth overall in the last Draft, Knueppel hit 3 three-pointers and finished with 21 points in the Hornets' 131-99 victory over the Chicago Bulls.