Knicks 109, Nets 98: Tim Hardaway Jr. led six players in double figures with 16 points as New York easily defeated host Brooklyn.

Cole Aldrich scored a career-high 13 points and matched a career-best with 13 rebounds off the bench for the Knicks, who were without Carmelo Anthony (shoulder). J.R. Smith, Amar’e Stoudemire and Shannon Brown each scored 14 points as New York won the regular-season series, 3-1.

Marcus Thornton scored 24 points off the bench to lead the Nets, who failed to clinch the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference. Mason Plumlee recorded 16 points and nine rebounds and Paul Pierce scored 13 for Brooklyn, which is one game ahead of the Washington Wizards with one game left.

The Knicks started things off with three 3-pointers to grab the early lead and kept the pressure on, getting a pair of 3-pointers from Hardaway in an 8-0 run that closed the first quarter and left them on top 29-18. New York led by as much as 13 points in the second quarter before heading into the break with a 55-43 cushion.

Felton’s 3-pointer with 7:05 left in the third stretched the gap to 68-51, and the lead reached 18 points before the Knicks cruised into the fourth quarter up 83-67. Hardaway’s 3-pointer just in front of the midway point of the fourth gave New York its biggest lead of the night at 98-77 and the Nets never mounted a challenge.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Nets, who would lose a head-to-head tiebreaker with Washington, can clinch the No. 5 spot by beating Cleveland on Wednesday. … Anthony was diagnosed with a small tear in the labrum of his right shoulder that will not require surgery. … Brooklyn was without Mirza Teletovic (wife gave birth to twins), Alan Anderson (abdominal) and Shaun Livingston (toe).