Leonard helps Raptors rout Hornets
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TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points, Kyle Lowry had 16 points and a season-high 14 assists, and Toronto never trailed in a 127-106 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, the Raptors' fourth straight win to open the season.
Jonas Valanciunas scored 17 points, Danny Green had 16, and Serge Ibaka added 15 as the Raptors won for the ninth time in 11 meetings with the Hornets.
Toronto is the first NBA team to reach four wins. Denver (3-0) can match the Raptors when it hosts Sacramento on Tuesday.
Leonard returned after sitting out Saturday night's road win over Washington, the second game of a back-to-back. The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year was limited to nine games last season because of a quadriceps injury.
Kemba Walker scored 26 points and Jeremy Lamb had 16 as the Hornets dropped their first road game of the season.
MAGIC 93, CELTICS 90
BOSTON (AP) — Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 12 rebounds while the Orlando Magic survived two 3-point attempts by Boston in the closing seconds to beat the Celtics.
Trailing 91-90 with 14.2 seconds to play, Boston was forced to foul Evan Fournier after Orlando inbounded the ball. He stepped to the line and made both free throws with 7.8 seconds left.
Kyrie Irving then missed a 3 from the right corner, and after Al Horford grabbed the rebound and fed it out — Gordon Hayward's rimmed out just before the buzzer sounded.
Irving led the Celtics (2-2) with 22 points.
TIMBERWOLVES 101, PACERS 91
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jimmy Butler returned to Minnesota's lineup and scored 20 points to lead the Timberwolves to a win over the Pacers.
Butler, who received a mix of boos and cheers during player introductions, sat out Saturday due to precautionary rest. Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota, while rookie guard Josh Okogie scored 12 points off the bench.
The Wolves led by as many as nine early before Indiana cut it to one point at the half. Victor Oladipo scored 15 of his 20 points before halftime to lead the Pacers. He has now scored at least 20 points in three straight games.
BUCKS 124, KNICKS 113
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points and 15 assists, Khris Middleton sank a pair of late 3-pointers and the Bucks survived a furious second-half rally by New York to hold off the Knicks.
Middleton was efficient in scoring 30 points, going 7 of 8 from 3-point range. Antetokounmpo only had one 3, but it came in a big spot, giving unbeaten Milwaukee the lead for good midway through the fourth period.
Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Knicks with 24 points. Trey Burke added 19 and Mario Hezonja had 18.
Middleton's 3-pointer with 2:22 left gave the Bucks a 116-110 lead, and Eric Bledsoe and Middleton had 3s in the final two minutes as Milwaukee pulled away.
All five Bucks starters scored in double figures. Bledsoe had 16 points, center Brook Lopez added 13 and guard Malcolm Brogdon had 11.