Knicks Hold Off Thunder, Win 12th Straight Game


The New York Knicks held off the Oklahoma City Thunder 125-120 Sunday for their 12th straight win, the longest active streak in the NBA. Carmelo Anthony tied a career-high with 50 points last Tuesday against the Heat and led the Knicks again Sunday with 36 points and 12 rebounds.

The win over the Thunder gave the Knicks their first 50-win season in 13 years as they inch closer to clinching the Atlantic Division over the Brooklyn Nets. The Knicks hold a six game lead over the Nets with six games remaining in the regular season.

Anthony came into the contest against the Thunder with three-straight games of 40 or more points, but was more of a threat on the boards Sunday. Anthony finished the game with a season-high nine offensive rebounds as the Knicks held off a late Thunder rally.

The Knicks led by as much as 12 points early in the second half, but Russell Westbrook and company stormed back and took the lead with less than seven minutes left in the game. Westbrook led all scorers with 37 points, and added 11 rebounds and eight assists in the contest.

Kevin Durant gave the Thunder the lead after driving the lane and sinking a short jumper at the 6:57 mark before J.R. Smith took control for the Knicks. Durant finished with 27 points and seven assists while Smith hit two key shots in the final minutes to seal the win for New York.

Smith finished with 22 points and seven rebounds off the bench, including a three-pointer with 56.8 seconds left to close the door on the Thunder. The loss snapped Oklahoma City’s three-game winning streak and gave Anthony a slight lead over Durant for the scoring title.

Anthony is just ahead of Durant with an average of 28.44 points a game but was more concerned with the big win.

“It’s probably one of the biggest wins we’ve had in a long time,” Anthony said in the locker room. “This is a tough place to win and we came out here and did it.”

The Knicks now move on to face the struggling Washington Wizards on Tuesday with less than two weeks left in the season and the playoffs ahead of them. All eight spots in the Eastern Conference have been clinched, and, if nothing changes over the next week, the Knicks will face the Boston Celtics in the first round.

The Knicks are as hot as anyone in the NBA right now but will need to keep up the strong play if they hope to make a run in the playoffs. The Miami Heat will surely be there, and the Knicks will have to beat them to have a shot at the NBA Championship, barring an upset in the first two rounds.

Do the Knicks have the fire power and depth to win it all in 2013?

[Image via Keith Allison]

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