Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points to set a new franchise record of 30 straight games with 20 points or more, as the New York Knicks cruised to a 113-97 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Tyson Chandler was the top scorer with 21 points, to go with his seven rebounds and five assists, while Amar'e Stoudemire had 14 points in a perfect seven out of seven from the floor.
"When I first got here I always said it was going to take maybe three years," the Associated Press quoted Anthony as saying. "We had two half seasons to make something happen overnight.
"Now this season we can go through ups and downs and try to make something happen. When the three of us are on the court, we are making things happen offensively and defensively."
The Magic and the Knicks scored 31 points apiece in the first quarter and 20 points apiece in the second to remain tied at 51 at halftime.
Anthony made eight-of 17 attempts and hit two 3-pointers against the Magic. The trio, who combined for 18 out of the total 28 points in the third quarter, displayed an outstanding performance which resulted in the Magic's seventh straight loss, and also their 18th in 20 games.
"The third quarter was great," Stoudemire said. "We played great defensively. We were able to get a good lead and capitalize. Anytime guys are double-teaming Carmelo, it gives us a chance to open a lead."
Chandler shot efficiently, making 10 out of 11 attempts from the field.
"I had a couple of rough games and I felt like I really wanted to get into the offense early," Chandler said. "So I came out and made it a point to be more aggressive."
Knicks coach Mike Woodson was very happy with his team's star players, who helped New York beat the Magic for the third straight time.
"That's the beauty of having two big guys play and Melo plays big as well," Woodson said. "It's kind of nice to have three big guys like that up front playing."
For the Magic, JJ Redick contributed with 29 points, Jameer Nelson had 21 and Nikola Vucevic finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Knicks tied the score at 62 when Redick shot from beyond the three point arc with 7:20 to remaining in the third quarter.
Stoudemire' dunk and Prigioni's 3-pointer helped the Knicks to extend their lead to 75-68.
The Magic could not come back in the game after that and were outscored by New York 34-24 in the fourth quarter to lose the game by 16 points.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
