Final
Anthony, Knicks thump Thunder; extend streak to 12 games
Apr 8, 2013 - 5:21 AMVideo
Anthony scored 36, as the Knicks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 125-120, Sunday afternoon.
Anthony, who scored 40-plus points in each of the previous three games, shot 15-of-29 from the field and had 12 rebounds, nine of them offensive.
J.R. Smith hit a pair of big shots during an 11-2 run late in the final quarter. He had 22 points for the Knicks, who secured their first 50-win season since 1999-2000. Their magic number to clinch the Atlantic Division title is one.
The Knicks, who also broke a five-game road losing streak versus the Thunder, received 16 points and eight assists from Raymond Felton. Tyson Chandler scored 15, Jason Kidd 14 and Chris Copeland 13.
Russell Westbrook scored 37, pulled down 11 rebounds and had eight assists for the Thunder, who had a three-game winning streak broken. Kevin Durant, who came into the game essentially neck-and-neck with Anthony for the league's scoring lead, had 27 points and seven assists.
The result put the Thunder a game behind San Antonio for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
Westbrook's layup put the Thunder on top, 111-110 with four minutes remaining, but Smith canned a pair of shot clock-beating shots to lift New York.
Chandler converted a layup at the other end and then blocked a Westbrook jumper. Anthony's tip-in created a 3-point margin.
After Westbrook hit a pull-up shot, Smith just beat the shot clock for a 117-113 difference with 1 1/2 minutes left. Following a Westbrook missed 3- pointer, Smith made the Thunder pay again. Felton lost the ball in the lane, but batted it back to Smith, who drained a 3-ball with 56.8 seconds left for the game-sealing 120-113 margin.
"He makes plays like that. He makes tough shots. Sometimes I think he likes to take the tougher shot than the easier shot. They still go in," said Anthony.
The Knicks haven't lost since March 17 at the LA Clippers. Their current win streak is third-longest in team history and most since a 15-game run in the 1993-94 season.
Oklahoma City made 11 of its 17 shots in the opening quarter to take a 31-30 edge after 12 minutes. The Knicks turned it around in the second with a 13- of-22 effort for a 65-56 advantage at halftime. Anthony and Copeland each scored 11 in the period.
Chandler's alley-oop jam off a feed from Smith created a 12-point lead inside of a minute left in the half.
OKC was as close as one in the third, but the Knicks widened the gap in the latter stages and were up 96-89 going to the fourth.
"We're good. We've got five more games to go," said Durant. "We lost a tough one. This team, they shot the ball well tonight. They hit some tough shots all night."
Game Notes
Durant has scored 20-plus points in each of the last 15 games for an OKC team that is 33-6 as the host. ... Kevin Martin had 15 points, while Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson each had 13 for the Thunder, who shot 57.7 percent ... The Knicks were 15-of-34 from 3-point range.
- NEW YORK: 125
OKLAHOMA CITY: 120
Final
Apr 7 3:29 PM - NEW YORK: 96
OKLAHOMA CITY: 89
End of 3rd
Apr 7 2:48 PM - NEW YORK: 65
OKLAHOMA CITY: 56
Halftime
Apr 7 2:03 PM - NEW YORK: 30
OKLAHOMA CITY: 31
End of 1st
Apr 7 1:28 PM - NEW YORK: 2
OKLAHOMA CITY: 0
1st Quarter - 11:43
Apr 7 1:03 PM
Related News
- Knicks Robbed By Late Call on Jalen Brunson Feb 13
- The Oklahoma City Thunder Have Arrived Jan 3
- The Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama Rivalry Has Started Early Dec 28
- REPORT: Boston’s interest in Kelly Olynyk and obstacles to a Knicks’ Dejounte Murray trade Dec 26
- Knicks 129, Bucks 122: “Manhattanite Christmas Carol“ Dec 26
- Scenes from a Christmas miracle at MSG Dec 25
- Christmas Game Thread: New York Knicks vs Milwaukee Bucks, December 25, 2023 Dec 25
- Christmas game preview, Knicks vs Bucks: Prediction, time, and how to watch Dec 24
- Preview of the Knicks’ upcoming week, Dec. 24-30. Dec 24
- Bucks 130, Knicks 111: “Matinee game continues to bring sadness” Dec 24
- Scenes from Milwaukee being rotten house guests Dec 23
- Game Thread: New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks, December 23, 2023 Dec 23