Knicks at Rockets
The New York Knicks are soaring after their top performance of the season and now seek to end an eight-game losing streak against Houston when they visit the Rockets on Friday. New York posted a stunning 105-101 victory over the powerful San Antonio Spurs on Thursday in Carmelo Anthony’s return after missing three games with an ankle injury. The Knicks last beat the Rockets in the 2008-09 season and have also lost in eight straight visits to Houston.
Anthony had 27 points and 12 rebounds in his return and will look for another big game against Houston, which has lost back-to-back games. The Rockets suffered a disappointing home loss against the Sacramento Kings in their last outing despite James Harden scoring a season-best 38 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, and the performance greatly troubled coach Kevin McHale. “We’ve played some poor games and this was another,” McHale said afterward.” It doesn’t feel like we’re in much of a rhythm.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, MSG (New York), CSN Houston
ABOUT THE KNICKS (10-21): Guard Iman Shumpert tipped in the tiebreaking points against the Spurs with 23.4 seconds left and scored a career-best 27 points. Shumpert was 10-of-13 from the field – including 6-of-8 3-pointers – and held Spurs guard Tony Parker to 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting in perhaps the top all-around effort of his three-year career. “Iman was big tonight,” New York coach Mike Woodson said afterward. “Probably the best game in a Knicks uniform. Not because he scored points but the fact that he defended and had to guard Parker pretty much the whole night.”
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (21-13): Houston is a solid eight games over .500 but the Western Conference is stacked with good teams so that maddening ability to mix in substandard performances is becoming a concern. “It’s frustrating,” forward Chandler Parsons said after the club’s second loss to the Kings in 17 days. “We have leaders on this team. We’re going to get together and we’re going to figure this out. It’s just frustrating losing to teams we shouldn’t lose to on your home floor. Defensively, we’ve got to be better. I think that’s where it all starts.” The Rockets have allowed 106 or more points in each of their last six losses.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Harden scored 36 points when the Rockets won at New York on Nov. 14. Anthony scored 45 for the Knicks.
2. The Knicks will again be without PG Raymond Felton (groin), F Metta World Peace (knee) and G Pablo Prigioni (toe).
3. Houston’s last five defeats are by an average of 18 points.