Knicks 107, Timberwolves 102
NEW YORK -- Guard Arron Afflalo poured in 29 points and forward Carmelo Anthony recorded a double-double to lead the New York Knicks over the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-102 Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
Anthony scored 20 points and grabbed a season-best 15 rebounds. He fell one assist shy of a triple-double.
Rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 25 points and tied for the team high with 10 rebounds. Guard Anthony Wiggins scored 23 points despite having a poor shooting night (8-for-22), and guard Zach LaVine added 19 points off the bench.
Minnesota point guard Ricky Rubio finished with nine points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.
Towns was playing his first NBA game in the metropolitan area, 50 miles away from where he grew up in Piscataway, N.J.
Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis broke out of his three-game, Western Conference-road-trip slump by scoring 11 points, grabbing six rebounds and blocking a season-high seven shots. The 7-foot-3 Latvian scored 17 points on 6-of-25 shooting in the road games against Utah, Sacramento and Portland.
The Knicks (12-14) sealed the win by going 12-for-12 from the line in the last two minutes. Afflalo was 8-for-8, and Anthony was 4-for-4.
A conventional three-point play from Towns with 11.4 seconds left cut New York's lead to 103-100 before Afflalo sank two free throws with 10 seconds to go push the margin to five.
LaVine buried a 3-pointer to draw Minnesota (9-16) within 101-97 with 21 seconds left before Anthony sank two free throws a second later for a 103-97 cushion.
Minnesota got to within 78-72 early in the fourth before the Knicks went on a 6-0 run for an 84-72 cushion, Afflalo scoring four of those points on jumpers.
The Timberwolves clawed back into the game in the third quarter, cutting the Knicks' 20-point halftime lead to 78-70. Minnesota outscored New York 30-18 in the third behind eight points each from Towns and LaVine.
Towns struggled in the first half, making just three of his nine shots from the floor and committing two turnovers. Minnesota failed to make any of its seven 3-pointers and shot only 33 percent from the field.
The Knicks pulled away midway through the second quarter, breaking a 34-34 tie by going on a 26-6 run to end the quarter. Afflalo tossed in 11 points and Porzingis blocked two shots and grabbed three rebounds in the sequence.
NOTES: Minnesota was without G Kevin Martin (bruised right wrist) and C Nikola Pekovic (right Achilles tendon). ... G Cleanthony Early was inactive for the Knicks. ... Knicks F Carmelo Anthony received the November NBA Cares Community Assist Award in recognition of his generosity and dedication to empowering children and families in need. He recently brightened the holidays for 800 Bronx families, providing them with healthy food, personal-care items and much-needed living essentials. ... Minnesota is receiving nearly 50 points per game from players age 20 or younger, the highest total in the league.