Anthony, Porzingis lead Knicks past Hornets
NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points apiece to lead the New York Knicks to a 110-107 win over the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden on Friday.
Courtney Lee added 16 points for the Knicks (21-27), including crucial points in the fourth quarter. Brandon Jennings scored 15 points off the New York bench.
Kemba Walker, who was named as a reserve to the Eastern Conference All-Star team on Thursday, poured in 31 points for the Hornets (23-24).
Knicks guard Derrick Rose left the game with a sprained left ankle midway through the third quarter and didn't return. The Knicks tweeted that x-ray were negative. Rose finished with 13 points and four assists.
Jennings' 3-pointer in front of the Hornets bench followed nine straight points from Lee and gave the Knicks a 105-101 lead with 1:19 left to play. Anthony's fadeaway jumper with 13 seconds remaining sealed the win.
The Hornets outscored the Knicks 36-28 in the third for an 87-82 lead. They were 12 of21 from the floor in the quarter and 7 of 7 from the line.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Nicholas Batum (15 points) and Marvin Williams (17) gave Charlotte a 71-67 cushion with 6:38 to go in the third.
Walker tossed in seven straight points in the last 1:25 of the second quarter to pull Charlotte within 54-51 at the break. He scored 16 points in the half and was 7 of 13 from the floor.
A layup from Porzingis allowed the Knicks biggest lead, 54-44, with 2:35 left in the second quarter.
Porzingis hit his first four shots to help New York to a 12-6 edge. The Hornets took their first lead of the quarter, 19-18, on a hook shot from Roy Hibbert, but the Knicks responded with an 11-4 run to close the quarter with a 29-23 advantage.
NOTES: Knicks F Maurice Ndour and C Marshall Plumlee have been assigned to the Westchester Knicks of the D-League. ... Charlotte was without C Cody Zeller (quadriceps contusion). ... Charlotte G Kemba Walker has hit the second most 3-pointers in the Eastern Conference this season. ... The Hornets and Knicks split the first two games of this season's series. ... Knicks F Carmelo Anthony's 62 points in a 2014 game is the most ever scored on the Hornets. Anthony is eighth in the league in shots attempted per game (18.52). ... Hornets F Frank Kaminsky was named to the United States squad for the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend.