Knicks 111, Hawks 106
NEW YORK -- The New York Knicks displayed a well-balanced attack as they knocked off the Atlanta Hawks 111-106 on Saturday.
Forward Carmelo Anthony once again led the Knicks (7-16) in scoring by tallying a game-high 35 points. Anthony, the league's second-leading scorer at 25.6 points per game, came into the game with some shooting woes (43 percent), but had arguably his most efficient shooting night of the season (13-of-22), including a couple of clutch 3s to help stave off the Hawks (12-12). Anthony, who added six rebounds, notched 15 of his points in the pivotal fourth quarter.
Anthony's new sidekick, center Andrea Bargnani, had another solid scoring effort as he registered 23 points on 11 of 16 shooting. Bargnani was once again the Knicks' de facto starting center, and acquitted himself well against the undersized yet physical Hawks' frontline, as he added six rebounds.
Rookie guard Tim Hardaway, Jr. (13 points) and forward Amar'e Stoudemire (nine points in 19 minutes) were also key.
Atlanta displayed its own balanced attack with three starters reaching double-digit scoring, but were undone by 27 turnovers -- compared to New York's 11 giveaways.
The Hawks were led by guard Louis Williams's 23 points off the bench. Forward Paul Millsap contributed 18 points and eight rebounds, while center Al Horford had 17 points and six boards in a losing effort.
The Knicks pulled out to a 57-48 lead at halftime.
Anthony was very economical with his shooting, going 6-of-11 from the field for a game-high 15 points. He came into the game as the Knicks' leading scorer in each game this season. It's the longest such streak to start a season in 30 years.
Anthony added a team-high six rebounds in the first half.
Bargnani contributed 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field in the first 24 minutes.
The Hawks were led by Williams' 13 points off the bench on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, Millsap's 10 points and Horford's eight in the first half.
Hardaway, Jr. registered six of his nine points in the second quarter to help the Knicks stretch their lead from four to nine at the break.
NOTES: SF/PF Carmelo Anthony came into the game as the Knicks' leading scorer in every game, and that didn't change Saturday. The 23 game-stretch is the longest such streak to start a season in over 30 years. ... The Knicks eclipsed the 100-point mark for just the sixth time all season. ... Hawks PG Jeff Teague, who came into the game ranked seventh in the league in assists, only registered six assists. ... SG/SF Kyle Korver extended his NBA-record streak to 93-straight games with at least one 3-pointer. The Hawks trailed by as many as 15 points. ... Atlanta's 27 turnovers surpassed its previous season-high of 24. They accomplished that feat with still six minutes remaining in regulation.
