Hornets 76, Knicks 71

Brian Roberts believes Charlotte arise in good hands if Kemba Walker is out for any length of time.

The third-year point guard filled in for Walker and scored 17 points, and the Hornets beat New York on Saturday night for their ninth victory in the last 11 games.

Roberts was 5 of 9 from the field and made all six free throws as the Hornets snapped the Knicks’ three-game win streak.

“Just to know I can come in help a team win games, that is something you can’t teach,” Roberts said. “Just have experience that I was fortunate enough to have last year. And it looks like I’m going to have to do that a little bit here.”

The Hornets aren’t saying how long their leading scorer will be out.

Walker, who is averaging 18.9 points and 5.2 assists per game, has now missed three of the last five games with a left knee cyst.

Roberts isn’t worried.

He started 42 games last season in New Orleans when Jrue Holiday went down with an injury and did well in that role.

“One of the advantage of bringing him here was that he started so many games last year so he’s comfortable in that role,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said.

The Hornets have more to worry about than just Walker.

Big men Marvin Williams (concussion) and Bismack Biyombo (knee bruise) left the game early and did not return. Their status is day-to-day.

The Knicks know all about injuries.

They played without Carmelo Anthony, who was held out to rest his knee on the second night of a back-to-back.

Tim Hardaway Jr. led New York with 25 points and Lance Thomas had 16 points and eight rebounds. But the Knicks were 5 of 15 from the field in the fourth quarter.

“We put the guys out there that have never been in that situation, together at least,” Knicks coach Derek Fisher said. “So it impacts the way you finish games.”

The Hornets’ win came one night after a 39-point loss to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Hornets looked sluggish early, missing 24 of their first 29 shots from the field. However, the Knicks couldn’t take advantage and only led by one at halftime.

The Hornets eventually took the lead with 3 minutes left in the third quarter when Jason Maxiell hit an 18-foot jumper from the foul line.

With the game tied at 69, Roberts hit a fall-away jumper from the left baseline to give the Hornets the lead for good.

The Knicks had a chance to tie the game with 22 seconds left but Hardaway clanked a 3-pointer off the backboard and Cole Aldrich threw the ball away with 11 seconds left after chasing down a loose ball. Gerald Henderson knocked down two free throws with 10 seconds left to help seal the win.

“We have to value that last possession,” Hardaway said.

Clifford was hoping that Al Jefferson, in his third game back from a groin injury, would help to pick up the scoring slack with Walker out. But the big man started the game 2 of 11 from the field and finished with nine points.

Jazz 108, Nets 73

Gordon Hayward scored 24 points and Trey Burke had 19 off the bench as Utah rolled to a win over reeling Brooklyn.

Joe Ingles had a season-high 16 points and Danté Exum had 13 in his second straight start in front of Burke.

Jarrett Jack had 16 points and Mason Plumlee added 11 for the Nets, who have dropped three of four.

One game after Brooklyn’s worst defeat of the season — 123-84 to the Clippers — the Nets were again listless.

They are 3-10 in January and a half-game back of Charlotte for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

There has been a little drama over 19-year-old Exum, the fifth overall pick in last year’s draft, supplanting Burke so early. But if they both play the way they did against the Nets, it may not matter who starts.

With Alec Burks out for the season and his replacement, Rodney Hood, out for a few more weeks, Exum and Burke played together for stretches.

The combination worked well as the Jazz looked to run at every opportunity on the sluggish Nets. The Jazz had 27 fast-break points to Brooklyn’s nine.

Instead of sulking, Burke played with an aggressive attitude from the moment he entered the game.

The Jazz made 9 of 13 3-pointers on their way to a 58-37 halftime lead. Burke had four and Ingles made three from beyond the arc.

Utah led 25-22 when Burke sparked a 15-4 run with a 3-pointer and finished the surge with another long-range jumper to make it 40-26. The Jazz led by double-digits the rest of the way.

Grizzlies 101, 76ers 83

Zach Randolph had 17 points and 14 rebounds and Jeff Green scored 18 as Memphis coasted to a over Philadelphia.

Vince Carter added 13 points as the Grizzlies (31-12) won their sixth in the last seven games.

Memphis led by as many as 25 in the second half, allowing coach Dave Joerger to rest his starters in the fourth quarter. Marc Gasol, selected as an All-Star starter, finished with nine points, as did point guard Mike Conley.

Rookie Jerami Grant led the Sixers (8-36) with a career-high 16 points, while Michael Carter-Williams was the only other Philadelphia player in double figures with 10 points, going 3 of 12 from the field.

The Sixers shot 38 percent for the game and committed 24 turnovers.

Bucks 101, Pistons 86

O.J. Mayo scored 20 points, and Milwaukee relied on perimeter shooting and defense in the win.

The Bucks went 11 for 17 from 3-point range, including a 4-for-5 performance from Mayo. The reserve guard made three 3s in a 47-second span of the second quarter to spark an 18-2 run that gave Milwaukee a 54-40 lead with 4:27 left in the second quarter.

Milwaukee also opened the second half with a 17-2 run. The Bucks led by as much as 30 in the third quarter of a rare easy victory.

The Detroit Pistons’ Brandon Jennings scored 16 points before leaving late in the third with a lower left leg injury.

Trail Blazers 103, Wizards 96

LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the Trail Blazers two days after saying he was going to have thumb surgery and had 26 points and nine rebounds in a victory over Washington.

Damian Lillard added 20 points and seven assists as the Blazers snapped a two-game losing streak.

Tied at 79 midway through the fourth quarter, Wesley Matthews made two 3-pointers that gave Portland an 87-85 with 3:28 left. Lillard's 3 extended the lead 92-85.

Nene's layup closed the Wizards to 94-91, but he missed a free throw then fouled Meyers Leonard on a 3-point attempt on the other end. Leonard made all three free throws to put Portland up 97-91 with 1:07 left and Washington couldn't catch up.

John Wall led the Wizards with 25 points and nine assists.

Aldridge had said he was expected to miss from six to eight weeks for ligament surgery. But just hours before the game, the Blazers announced on Twitter that the three-time All-Star would play.