Darius Garland scored 25 points, Donovan Mitchell added 22 and the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 6-0 with a 120-109 victory Friday night over the visiting Orlando Magic, who played their first game without injured All-Star Paolo Banchero.

The last time Cleveland started 6-0 was in 2016 with LeBron James. The club’s best start was 8-0 in 1976.

Banchero is expected to miss at least a month with a torn right oblique. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft was on an early tear, averaging 29 points with 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists before getting hurt Wednesday.

Orlando’s Jalen Suggs scored a career-high 28 points and had eight rebounds and seven assists.

CELTICS 124, HORNETS 109: Jayson Tatum had 32 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 25 points and Boston won at Charlotte.

LaMelo Ball had 31 points before fouling out to lead the Hornets, who continue to play without injured starters Brandon Miller and Mark Williams.

The game got chippy in the fourth as Grant Williams was ejected for a flagrant foul 2 after he ran over Tatum. Moments later, Ball fouled Tatum on a 3-point attempt and was assessed a flagrant for a dangerous foul.

KNICKS 128, PISTONS 98: Jalen Brunson scored 15 of his 36 points in the first quarter as New York won at Detroit for its 16th straight victory over the Pistons.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Knicks.

NETS 120, BULLS 112: Cam Thomas scored 10 of his 32 points in the fourth to help host Brooklyn beat Chicago.

Thomas scored eight straight points to give the Nets a 118-109 lead with 1:52 remaining.

Nikola Vucevic led Chicago with 28 points and 11 rebounds.

KINGS 123, HAWKS 115: De’Aaron Fox scored 31 points and Sacramento held off host Atlanta for its third straight win.

DeMar DeRozan had 27, the fifth straight game he’s scored more than 20 since joining the Kings in the offseason. Domantas Sabonis scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

Trae Young led the Hawks with 25 points and 12 assists and Garrison Mathews hit seven 3-pointers en route to 23 points.

PELICANS 125, PACERS 116: Zion Williamson had 34 points and 10 assists, Brandon Ingram added 26 points and New Orleans snapped a three-game skid with a home victory over Indiana.

NUGGETS’ MURRAY IN PROTOCOL: Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was placed in the concussion protocol after a third-quarter collision with Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle forced him out of Friday’s game.

Murray was cutting through the lane with Anthony Edwards guarding him, when Randle backed up to chase Aaron Gordon and inadvertently banged his shoulder into Murray’s nose.