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Jazz and Knicks meet at MSG

Mar 7, 2011 - 3:48 PM (Sports Network) - Utah finally found the win column again and will now try to revive its playoff hopes when the club opens up a four-game road trip in historic Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks.

The Jazz snapped a seven-game skid in Salt Lake City on Saturday when Al Jefferson scored 27 points and had seven rebounds as Utah downed the Sacramento Kings, 109-102, in overtime.

Andrei Kirilenko and Raja Bell each scored 16 points for the Jazz, who recorded just their second win in 10 games. Devin Harris had 14 points and dished out seven assists while Paul Millsap and C.J. Miles each notched 12 points.

"It feels good," Bell said of the win. "I think it was especially good for us to play another close one and figure out how to get over the hump late in the game. We made some mistakes down the stretch and let it slip again but we fought and we figured it out in overtime so I think that's good experience for us."

Utah is now 1 1/2 games behind Memphis for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with 19 games to play.

The Knicks, meanwhile, bounced back from an embarrassing home loss to Cleveland by downing fellow Eastern Conference playoff contender Atlanta, 92-79, in Dixie on Sunday. Amare Stoudemire scored 10 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter in that one.

Stoudemire also pulled down seven rebounds for the Knicks, who got 14 points, seven boards and seven assists from Carmelo Anthony. Landry Fields donated 15 points.

"It was a great team effort to be honest with you," Stoudemire said. "Guys got hot in the fourth quarter...Tonight, guys really turned it on."

Anthony, who is averaging 24.7 points per game since being traded to New York on Feb. 22, was poked in the eye and banged in the head during separate incidents in Atlanta but expects to play tonight.

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni also hopes to have both Ronny Turiaf and Bill Walker, who have both been battling sore left knees, back in the lineup Monday. Starting point guard Chauncey Billups, who has averaged 23.3 points in four games since coming over with Anthony from Denver, is expected to miss a fourth straight game with a thigh bruise, however.

Utah has taken four straight over the Knicks, including a 131-125 track meet in Salt Lake City back on Jan. 12.