NBA roundup: Knicks hand short-handed Bulls a third loss in a row

Carmelo Anthony had 23 points plus nine rebounds and six assists, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah had big games against their former team, and the host New York Knicks beat the short-handed Chicago Bulls, 104-89, on Thursday night.

Rose scored 17 points in his return to Madison Square Garden after skipping the last game here, and Noah finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds as the Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak.

Dwyane Wade scored 22 for the Bulls, who were missing star swingman Jimmy Butler, Nikola Mirotic and Denzel Valentine, all because of illness. They dropped their third straight.

Rose went home to Chicago on Monday without telling the team, returned to practice the next day and said his absence was for family reasons. The Knicks fined him but put him back in the starting lineup and he has played well since.

Denver 140, Indiana 112: Nikola Jokic had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the Nuggets’ emphatic win at O2 Arena in London in the NBA’s Global Games series. Denver, ending a five-game losing streak, outscored the Pacers 39-20 in the third quarter. C.J. Miles had 20 points to lead the Pacers, who had won five in a row.

New Orleans 104, at Brooklyn 95: Tyreke Evans scored a season-high 29 points and the Pelicans, who were playing without All-Star big man Anthony Davis (bruised left hip), closed the game on a 13-1 run. Brook Lopez led the Nets with 20 points and Sean Kilpatrick had 18, but Brooklyn has dropped eight straight and 13 of 14. Brooklyn led 94-91 after Lopez’s basket with 3:35 left, but didn’t score again until Joe Harris hit one of two free throws with 23 seconds remaining for the team’s final point.

Mavericks 113, Suns 108: Deron Williams had 23 points and 15 assists, and Dallas picked up the win in the fourth regular-season NBA game played in Mexico. Harrison Barnes added 22 points and Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 for the Mavericks, who broke a three-game losing streak. Devin Booker scored 29 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter for the Suns. Tyson Chandler had 14 points and 19 rebounds against his former team.

at Golden State 127, Detroit 107: Klay Thompson returned from a one-game absence for rest and scored 23 points with four three-pointers in another balanced Warriors performance. Stephen Curry scored 24 points, Kevin Durant had 25 points plus nine assists and six rebounds, and Draymond Green dished out 13 assists . Marcus Morris scored 21 points to lead the Pistons.