NEW YORK (AP) — Mikal Bridges scored 28 points, Josh Hart tied a franchise record with his eighth triple-double this season and the New York Knicks beat Miami 116-95 on Monday night, sending the Heat to their first eight-game losing streak of coach Erik Spoelstra's career.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points for the Knicks, who fell behind 12-0, then completely turned around the game after Towns scored 15 straight in the second quarter. New York won the season series 3-0 for its first sweep of Miami since 1992-93.
New York led by six midway though the third quarter when the game was delayed for the court to be cleaned after actor and comedian Tracy Morgan vomited while sitting courtside. The Knicks outscored the Heat 24-6 after the delay to lead 88-64 heading into the fourth.
Duncan Robinson scored 22 points for the Heat (29-39), who lost a game they led by double digits for the 18th time this season. The eight-game skid is their longest since March 2008, the last season under Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley before Spoelstra took over.
Heat: Miami has blown leads against everybody but specialized in that against the Knicks this season. The Heat led by at least 13 in all three losses.
Knicks: New York predicably looked low on energy early after finishing a five-game West Coast trip late Saturday night. But Towns, Bridges and Hart were more than enough to revive a team playing without injured All-Star Jalen Brunson.
Miami led 31-18 after getting the first basket of the second quarter. Towns then scored the next 15 points, including three 3-pointers and a pair of dunks, to give the Knicks their first lead at 33-31.
Hart had 12 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists to tie Hall of Fame guard Walt Frazier's total of eight triple-doubles in 1968-69. Hart has 14 triple-doubles with the Knicks, which ranks fourth in franchise history.
The Heat host Detroit on Wednesday to start a five-game homestand that will include Jimmy Butler's return to Miami on March 25. The Knicks visit San Antonio on Wednesday.
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New York Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa, left, drives to the basket past Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) is surrounded by Miami Heat defenders, including center Bam Adebayo (13) and guard Tyler Herro (14), during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns reacts after scoring a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, March 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, March 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel launched dozens of airstrikes across northern and southern Gaza on Friday, killing more than 93 people and wounding hundreds -- attacks that Israeli officials described as a prelude to a larger military campaign in the territory aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages.
Also on Friday, Israel struck two ports in Yemen that it said were used by the Houthi militant group to transfer weapons.
The strikes in Gaza followed days of similar attacks that killed more than 130 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and came as U.S. President Donald Trump wrapped up a visit to Gulf states — but not Israel.
There had been widespread hopes that his trip to the region could increase the chances of a ceasefire deal, or the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which Israel has prevented for more than two months.
Speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi on the final day of his trip, Trump said he was looking to resolve a range of global crises, including Gaza. “We’re looking at Gaza,” he said. “And we’ve got to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving. A lot of people are — there’s a lot of bad things going on.”
In southern Gaza, Israel struck the outskirts of Deir al-Balah and the city of Khan Younis. It said it hit anti-tank missile posts and military structures.
In northern Gaza, the attacks sent people fleeing from the Jabaliya refugee camp and the town of Beit Lahiya. Israel said it eliminated several militants who were operating in an observation compound.
Dark smoke was seen rising over Jabaliya as people grabbed what they could of their belongings and fled on donkey carts, by car and foot.
“We got out of the house with difficulty, killing and death, we did not take anything,” said Feisal Al-Attar, who was displaced from Beit Lahiya.
There were no immediate reports of casualties after the strikes on Yemen. The Houthis’ satellite channel Al-Masirah acknowledged the attacks, but provided no other details.
Israel’s military said it had intercepted several missiles fired from Yemen toward Israeli airspace during Trump’s trip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier in the week to push ahead with a promised escalation of force in Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip to pursue his aim of destroying the Hamas militant group, which governs Gaza.
In comments released by Netanyahu’s office Tuesday, the prime minister said Israeli forces were days away from entering Gaza “with great strength to complete the mission ... It means destroying Hamas.”
An Israeli official said the strikes on Friday were preparatory actions in the lead-up to a larger operation and to send a message to Hamas that it will begin soon if there isn’t an agreement to release the 58 hostages still in Gaza since Hamas' October 2023 attack that launched the war. The official was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity
The same official said that Cabinet members were meeting Friday to assess negotiations in Qatar, where ceasefire talks are taking place, and to decide on next steps.
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told The Associated Press on Friday that Israel’s military is intensifying its operations as it has done since Hamas stopped releasing hostages. “Our objective is to get them home and get Hamas to relinquish power,” he said.
In Israel, families of hostages said they awoke Friday with “heavy hearts” to reports of increased attacks and called on Netanyahu to “join hands” with Trump’s efforts to release hostages.
Edan Alexander, the Israeli-American hostage released Monday after backdoor U.S.-Hamas diplomacy, left the hospital Friday, according to a statement released by his parents, who said his recovery was far from over.
“Missing this historic opportunity for a deal to bring the hostages home would be a resounding failure that will be remembered in infamy forever,” the families said in a statement released by the hostage forum, which supports them.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and abducted 251 others during an attack on southern Israel. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants.
Almost 3,000 have been killed since Israel broke a ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said.
Of the hostages that remain in Gaza, Israel believes as many as 23 are still alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three of those.
Dozens of Palestinians in Khan Younis lined up at a charity kitchen to obtain food Friday in a scene that quickly turned chaotic as the enclave entered its third month of Israel’s aid blockade.
Several children behind a metal partition screamed and cried out for food. At one point, the scene descended into chaos as charity kitchen workers struggled to push people back into line.
Some workers were attacked as the crowd surged forward, pressing against the partition and lunging toward the large pots of rice to grab whatever they could. One child used his hand to scoop the last bits of rice from the nearly empty pot, while holding his food container with the other hand.
Israel's blockade is preventing food, fuel medicine and all other supplies from entering, worsening a humanitarian crisis. Israel says the blockade aims to pressure Hamas to release the hostages it still holds.
“Our only hope was that Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East would result in solutions and somehow open crossings to bring in humanitarian assistance as soon as possible into the Gaza Strip, but the visit is almost over and not a drop of water or bread entered Gaza,” said Saqer Jamal, a displaced man from Rafah who was at the kitchen.
Earlier this week, a new humanitarian organization that has U.S. backing to take over aid delivery said it expects to begin operations before the end of the month — after what it describes as key agreements from Israeli officials.
A statement from the group, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, identified several U.S. military veterans, former humanitarian coordinators and security contractors that it said would lead the delivery effort.
Many in the humanitarian community, including the U.N., said the system does not align with humanitarian principles and won't be able to meet the needs of Palestinians in Gaza and won't participate it.
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Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
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Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians look at smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike near Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahia amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip arrive in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahia amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip arrive in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahia amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip arrive in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahia amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip arrive in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahia amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip arrive in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Israeli soldiers work on tanks and APCs at a staging area near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
