Knicks 100, Bucks 88
NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony posted his 11th double-double of the season, scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to pace the New York Knicks to a 100-88 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks forward also had eight assists. New York rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis registered another balanced game with 15 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots.
Knicks center Robin Lopez finished with 13 points and nine rebounds before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter.
New York has won five of its last seven games and has a chance to get to .500 for the eighth time this season when the Boston Celtics visit the Garden on Tuesday.
Milwaukee received 28 points and 10 rebounds from center Greg Monroe and 20 points from guard Khris Middleton.
Milwaukee got within 88-78 with 5:30 left, but New York went on a 12-3 run to move ahead 100-81 with 2:15 to play.
An 11-2 Knicks burst closed out the third quarter and extended their lead to 82-60. Anthony was responsible for five of those points and one assist.
The Bucks converted just seven of their 23 shots from the field in the third quarter (30.4 percent). The Knicks sealed off the lane, blocking four shots.
The Knicks were able to get some separation in the second quarter, breaking a 36-36 tie with a 15-5 run that resulted in a 51-41 halftime lead. Anthony was the focus of the burst with five points and two assists.
New York erased a 14-9 deficit by going on a 13-4 run to move ahead 22-18 with 3:08 left in the first quarter. Middleton's two free throws with 17 seconds left tied it 24-24.
NOTES: The Bucks were without G Jerryd Bayless (sprained left ankle), G O.J. Mayo (sore left hamstring) and G Greivis Vasquez (right ankle surgery). ... G Cleanthony Early was out for the Knicks, recuperating from a gun-shot wound to his knee. ... Knicks F Carmelo Anthony recorded at least five assists in 10 of 38 games this season compared with seven such instances in 40 games last season. Anthony is averaging 3.7 assists, nearly equaling his career high of 3.8. ... Knicks F Kristaps Porzingis was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December. It was the second straight month he claimed the award. He ranked second among East rookies in scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg) and first among all rookies in blocked shots (2.20 bpg) in December.