Knicks 113, Jazz 84: J.R. Smith scored 24 points and fellow reserve Steve Novak added 20 as host New York pounded Utah despite playing without leading scorer Carmelo Anthony.
Raymond Felton chipped in 15 points and Chris Copeland added 12 for the Knicks, who avoided their first three-game home losing streak since dropping four straight at Madison Square Garden from Jan. 16-21, 2012.
Alec Burks scored 14 points off the bench and fellow reserve Gordon Hayward added 13 for the Jazz, who have lost four straight and seven of eight to fall into an eighth-place tie with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference standings.
Utah led by seven early before New York reeled off a 15-0 run to take the lead for good. The Jazz pulled within two in the second quarter, but Felton scored five straight points and Novak hit three 3-pointers during an 18-2 run as the Knicks regained command.
The Jazz never got closer than 17 points in the second half, as they could not get it going on the offensive end with second-leading scorer Paul Millsap sitting out due to right knee inflammation. Utah shot 38.5 percent overall and was 8-for-26 from 3-point range.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Knicks announced before the game that F Amar'e Stoudemire will undergo a surgical procedure on his troublesome right knee and miss six weeks. Anthony missed a third consecutive game with a right knee injury. … The Jazz have lost four straight for the first time since Feb. 19-28, 2012. … Smith has averaged 22.1 points in the 10 games Anthony has missed this season and has scored 20 or more the last six times Anthony has sat out.
Utah | New York | |
Alec Burks 14 | Scoring | JR Smith 24 |
Mo Williams 4 | Assists | Pablo Prigioni 5 |
Enes Kanter 7 | Rebounds | Tyson Chandler 9 |
Gordon Hayward 5 | Free Throws Made | Iman Shumpert 8 |
Gordon Hayward 2 | Steals | Iman Shumpert 4 |
DeMarre Carroll 1 | Blocks | Tyson Chandler 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Utah | 84 | 38.5 | 8-26 | 16-21 | 13 | 40 | 2 | 4 | 20 |
New York | 113 | 50.0 | 13-32 | 24-30 | 21 | 39 | 3 | 11 | 12 |