HOUSTON -- Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony wanted no part of siphoning credit from the destruction rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis wrought despite the fact Porzingis himself had previously credited Anthony for mentoring his rapid, stunning transition to NBA stardom.

What Anthony made clear was this: Porzingis alone deserves kudos.

Porzingis dominated on both ends of the court and the New York Knicks extended their winning streak to four games with a tense 107-102 victory over the Houston Rockets Saturday night at Toyota Center.

The Knicks (8-6) snapped an 11-game series losing streak and won for the first time in Houston since Nov. 18, 2004. Porzingis finished with 24 points (on 8-of-12 shooting), 14 rebounds (including five on the offensive end), and a career-high seven blocked shots. The only thing more palpable than his confidence offensively was his defensive influence, providing the Knicks an interior force that served them well.

"Tonight he played phenomenal," said Anthony, who scored 14 points in 24 foul-plagued minutes. "The way he played, the way he covered the basket down the stretch.

"For him to have seven blocks, he was very active down there. He wasn't just standing still. He was very active on the defensive end. He played a total game tonight."

Guards Arron Afflalo and Jose Calderon combined for 27 points on 7 for 12 3-point shooting, helping the Knicks offset deficits in paint points (42-20), second-chance points (33-20) and points off turnovers (19-12) with exceptional perimeter shooting. New York finished 12 of 25 on 3s.

Rockets guard James Harden finished with 24 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and three steals while center Clint Capela recorded career highs in points (16) and rebounds (14) before fouling out with 5:03 left. Porzingis followed with a pair of free throws that gave the Knicks a 93-91 lead before adding two blocks of Harden and three offensive boards. Porzingis drew the sixth foul on Capela after corralling his own miss.

"I'm getting better (defensively)," Porzingis said. "A lot of times you just have to be focused and not be late for those situations. A guy like Harden, I was really just making sure when he gets to the basket that I am vertical and going up so I can bother his shots, and that's what I was trying to do."

What was a nip-and-tuck affair throughout -- neither team led by more than seven points -- reached a crescendo in the fourth quarter, with the teams trading mini-spurts down to the stretch. After Porzingis gave the Knicks an 88-85 lead with a pair of free throws at the 7:31 mark, the Rockets sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a trey from Afflalo.

But with the Rockets (5-9) down 100-99, Harden missed a 3 with 58.9 seconds left. On their ensuing possession, the Rockets forced up a 3-point attempt down three instead of attempting to score quickly and extend the game. The Knicks clinched the win at the free-throw line.

"There was a couple of loose balls, 50/50 balls, that they got to and we didn't, that we needed to get over that hump," Rockets guard Marcus Thornton said. "The plays they needed to make they did and we didn't."

Porzingis tallied eight consecutive points during one brief stretch that highlighted his skill set, burying a pair of 3-pointers around a sweeping hook shot that cut the deficit to 35-33. But it was his proficiency from deep that appeared to spark the Knicks, who hit 5 of 8 treys in the second quarter to build a seven-point lead just prior to intermission. Even when their shooting cooled later on, the Knicks kept rolling.

"They made a bunch of cuts to the basket where we just weren't physical enough," Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "It's hard to overcome 19 offensive rebounds."

NOTES: Rockets G Patrick Beverley is scheduled to return to practice on Monday and, barring any setbacks, should rejoin the rotation next Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Beverley missed his fifth consecutive game with a left ankle sprain. ... Knicks coach Derek Fisher attributed his team's defensive improvement to an embracing of a defensive identity needed to be successful. After finishing 28th in defensive rating last season (110.0 points per 100 possessions), the Knicks ranked 14th (102.8) entering play on Saturday. ... The Knicks utilized the same starting lineup -- Jose Calderon, Arron Afflalo, Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis and Robin Lopez - for a sixth consecutive game. ... Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff floated the idea of playing C Dwight Howard in back-to-back games for the first time this season yet opted to start Clint Capela instead. The Rockets have three open days until their next game.