Carmelo Anthony scored 23 of his 25 points in the first half and the New York Knicks closed out the quarters in fashion en route to a 116-93 pasting of the host New Jersey Nets on Friday.

Chauncey Billups added 22 points and three 3-pointers for the Knicks (41-38), who swept the four-game season series, have won six straight overall and sit in the sixth slot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Brook Lopez scored 27 points, but the Nets (24-55) lost for the 12th time in 14 games.

The Knicks played without All-Star forward Amar’e Stoudemire, who was out with a sprained ankle, and the Nets played without All-Star Deron Williams, who underwent surgery Friday on his right wrist. Power forward Kris Humphries (heel, ankle) also sat for the Nets and will not play the last three games.

Anthony ended the first quarter with a 4-point play that provided the Knicks a five-point lead, and scored seven during a 9-2 run to take a 68-51 advantage into the half.

New Jersey pulled within 84-72 in the third, but the Knicks got a 3-pointer by Billups and two hoops from Jared Jeffries during a 12-0 spurt to end the quarter. New York coasted in the fourth.