Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and the New York Knicks halted the Portland Trail Blazers’ five-game winning streak with a 123-114 victory on Sunday.
OG Anunoby added 24 points for New York, while Karl-Anthony Towns posted 20 points and 11 rebounds. Mikal Bridges contributed 18 points, six assists and six rebounds as the Knicks snapped a skid of their own, having lost five of their previous six games.
Deni Avdija led Portland with 25 points, but his night ended on a concerning note when he appeared to injure his back while going up for a rebound in the closing moments and headed to the locker room. His status was not immediately known.
New York built a 10-point lead in the third quarter, but Portland rallied to tie the game at 92 early in the fourth on a dunk by Robert Williams III. The Blazers briefly took the lead on Avdija’s floater and free throw before the game turned into a back-and-forth battle.
Miles McBride’s pullup 3-pointer broke the tie and put the Knicks ahead 109-104 with 3:47 remaining. Brunson followed with a key 3 of his own to make it 117-107 with 2:23 left, and New York closed it out from there.
The Knicks welcomed back starting forward Josh Hart, who returned after missing time since injuring his ankle on Christmas Day. Hart made an immediate impact, finishing with 18 points.
Portland also saw the return of Jrue Holiday, who played his first game since mid-November after missing time with a calf injury. Holiday scored eight points in 16 minutes.
The first half was tightly contested, with Hart scoring 12 points in 14 minutes as New York edged ahead late to take a 60-54 lead at the break. Brunson’s running layup pushed the Knicks ahead 72-62 early in the third, but the Blazers continued to chip away and closed within 90-88 early in the fourth before New York pulled away late.
The Knicks continue their road trip at Sacramento on Wednesday night. The Trail Blazers visit Golden State on Tuesday night.
