Knicks beat Spurs to end four-game slide
NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony poured in 25 points, helping the New York Knicks snap a four-game losing streak with a 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
Derrick Rose added 18 points and Kristaps Porzingis contributed 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks for the Knicks (23-33).
The Knicks finished the five-game homestand 1-4.
Kawhi Leonard paced the Spurs (41-13) with 36 points, nine rebounds and four steals.
New York held the Spurs, the best 3-point shooting team in the league, to just 20 percent (6 of 9) from beyond the arc.
Leonard's jump shot cut the Knicks' lead to 88-86 with 1:43 remaining, but Anthony countered with two straight jumpers for a 92-86 Knicks lead with 33 seconds remaining to hold off San Antonio.
New York opened the second half on an 11-0 run, five points coming from Anthony, to move ahead 51-48.
Leonard's 3-pointer knotted it 57-57, but Anthony brought the Knicks back with 11 points in the third quarter for a 69-65 New York advantage.
The Spurs went nearly four minutes without scoring early in the fourth quarter until Leonard sank a jumper to cut the Knicks' lead to 73-71 with 7:53 left to play.
Willy Hernangomez's short jumper moved New York's lead to 80-75 at the 5:18 mark before Leonard scored four straight to pull the Spurs to within 80-79.
With the score deadlocked at 81-81, New York got a layup from Rose and a 3-pointer from Anthony for an 86-81 edge with 2:46 to go before the final sequence.
Leonard tossed in 12 points in the second quarter to help the Spurs to a 48-42 lead at the break. He scored six straight points to give San Antonio a 46-34 cushion, its largest lead of the half.
San Antonio limited the Knicks to just 12 shots in the first quarter and led 21-18.
NOTES: Knicks C Joakim Noah missed his fourth straight game with soreness in his left hamstring. ... The Spurs have the top two players in winning percentage with F Kawhi Leonard (.780) and G Danny Green (.752). ... Actor/director Spike Lee was wearing a Charles Oakley jersey at courtside in deference to the ex-Knick who was arrested and banned from Madison Square Garden last week during an altercation with security. ... San Antonio has four of the top 30 3-point shooters in the league, (Patty Mills, Pau Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge and Manu Ginobili). ... Knicks F Lance Thomas returned after missing 14 games with a fractured left orbit.