Anderson, Saric send Sixers past Knicks
PHILADELPHIA -- Newly acquired Justin Anderson matched his career high of 19 points and made the go-ahead basket with 24.3 seconds left as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the New York Knicks 105-102 on Friday night.
Dario Saric had 21 points -- including 12 in the final 8:42 -- to lead the Sixers, who snapped a three-game losing streak. The rookie forward also contributed 10 rebounds and four assists.
With Philadelphia trailing 102-101, Saric drove the lane but was met under the basket by 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis. Saric fired a wraparound pass to Anderson, who hit a short jumper in the middle of the lane to put the Sixers ahead.
After an exchange of turnovers, Carmelo Anthony missed a jumper from the left wing. Saric rebounded and made two free throws with three seconds left.
New York's Courtney Lee then missed an off-balance 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
It was the third time in as many meetings that the two teams have gone down to the wire. Philadelphia guard T.J. McConnell hit a buzzer-beating jumper in a 98-97 victory on Jan. 11, and Anthony's jumper with three-tenths of a second remaining gave New York a 110-109 victory on Feb. 25.
Lance Thomas scored a season-high 21 points and Derrick Rose had 20 for the Knicks. Anthony finished with 18, but shot just 5-of-18 from the floor. He was often matched against Anderson, who came over from Dallas in a trade on Feb. 23.
Anderson made his first seven shots and finished 8-of-12 from the field.
The Knicks built an 11-point lead early in the game, and were still up 52-47 with 4:33 left in the second quarter, but Philadelphia closed the first half on a 16-1 run to go up 63-53.
Jahlil Okafor, who left the game for an extended stretch earlier in the half with a bruised right rib, had six of his 10 first-half points in that flurry, as well as five rebounds and an assist.
Robert Covington finished the half with 13 points to lead Philadelphia.
Thomas topped the Knicks with 14.
New York surged ahead, 81-76, courtesy of an 18-4 third-quarter rush featuring eight points by Rose. By the end of the period they were 81-79.
The Sixers regained the lead on a 3-pointer by Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot 38 seconds into the fourth quarter, but the Knicks forged a tie at 84 moments later when Porzingis converted Ron Baker's steal into an uncontested dunk.
NOTES: Earlier in the day the Sixers signed F Justin Harper to a 10-day contract. The 27-year-old Harper was averaging 16.2 points and seven rebounds for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League. Harper, who had 19 prior games of NBA experience with Orlando and Detroit, played nearly five minutes but did not score. ... Philadelphia G Gerald Henderson, who did not play in the second half of Wednesday's loss in Miami because of a sore left hip, was held out of the game. He will not play against Detroit on Saturday, either. ... Knicks F Willy Hernangomez missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle. ... Sixers F Justin Anderson and Knicks F Carmelo Anthony were both assessed technical fouls for jawing at one another with 7:13 left in the third quarter.