Grizzlies 91, Knicks 85
NEW YORK -- Jeff Green came off the bench to lead the Memphis Grizzlies in scoring for the fifth consecutive game in a 91-85 win over the New York Knicks Friday at Madison Square Garden.
The Grizzlies forward deposited 16 points to give Memphis (30-20) its fifth win in a row and ninth victory in 10 games. Memphis reserve forward Matt Barnes added 12 points.
The Knicks (23-30) dropped their fourth consecutive game and the eighth in nine games.
New York guard Joe Calderon scored 18 points, and forward Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 points, pulled in 10 rebounds and blocked six shots.
The Knicks were without their top scorer, forward Carmelo Anthony, who missed his seventh game with a sore left knee. Coach Derek Fisher said before the game that an MRI on Anthony's knee revealed no structural and damage and that Anthony is day-to-day.
Anthony is averaging 21.1 points and 7.8 rebounds to go with 15 double-doubles. In his absence, the Knicks started a three-guard lineup that included Calderon, Arron Afflalo and Langston Galloway.
Afflalo's 3-pointer with 37 seconds to play got the Knicks within 87-85, but his 13-foot jumper to tie it with 13 seconds left was off the mark.
New York got as close as 75-71 with 7:11 to play, but Memphis used an 8-2 run to move its lead to 83-73 at the 3:39 mark. Green scored four straight in the burst.
Calderon spurred a 6-0 Knicks run with two baskets, cutting the Grizzlies' lead to 57-55 with 3:50 to go in the third quarter. However, Memphis scored seven straight points in the final minute to move its advantage to 69-62.
Green scored eight of his 10 first-half points in the second quarter to help provide Memphis with a 50-40 cushion at the break.
A 7-2 run early in the second quarter gave New York its first lead at 31-28, before Memphis countered with a 12-2 burst to move ahead 40-33 with 5:11 left in the quarter. Green scored four points, both on dunks, in the sequence.
The Grizzlies ended the second quarter 11-of-20 from the floor and at one point made seven shots in a row.
Memphis opened the game on a 10-0 run en route to a 24-18 advantage following the first quarter.
NOTES: Memphis has the easiest strength of schedule in February based on opponents' win percentage as of Feb. 1 (.373). ... Grizzlies F Jeff Green became the first NBA player in more than 21 years to come off the bench in four consecutive games (Jan. 25-Feb. 1) and finish as the leading scorer in each (outright or tied) and to see his team win all of them. He added to those marks by doing it again Friday. ... Memphis returns home to face the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. New York plays host to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. ... Knicks F Lance Thomas is out at least until Tuesday as he goes through concussion protocol.