The New York Knicks shot a blistering 70.7% from the floor in the first half — including 81% in the opening quarter — to post a 130-119 wire-to-wire victory over the host Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night and snap a three-game losing streak.
OG Anunoby scored 17 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Knicks (49-28), Mikal Bridges added 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns posted a triple-double of 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Jalen Brunson sat out with a right ankle injury.
Memphis got 20 points from GG Jackson, 17 from Olivier-Maxence Prosper and 15 from Cedric Coward. The Grizzlies (25-51) lost for the seventh time in their last eight games with an injury-depleted roster that had four players on 10-day contracts. Memphis was outrebounded 49-20.
With the victory, the Knicks remained 2 1/2 games behind second-place Boston in the Eastern Conference standings with five games to play. Boston (51-25) defeated Miami on Wednesday night.
The Knicks scored a franchise-tying record 48 points in the first quarter, the most allowed by the Grizzlies in their history. New York made 17 of 21 field goals in the opening period, including each of its five 3-point attempts.
New York led by 18 at the end of the first quarter and extended the advantage to 22 (60-38) early in the second quarter. The Knicks were ahead 79-62 at halftime, a total that represented the second most first-half points yielded by the Grizzlies in their history.
Memphis made a run in the third quarter to trim New York’s lead to 90-87 following a 3-pointer from Adama Bal.
But the Knicks surged ahead and led 99-90 entering the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies never got closer than nine points the rest of the game.
Grizzlies center Brandon Clarke, who has missed all but two games this season because of injuries, was not with the team. He was arrested and booked into an Arkansas jail on four charges, including possession of and trafficking a controlled substance, on Wednesday afternoon.
