Karl-Anthony Towns delivered a dominant performance with 31 points and 11 rebounds, guiding the New York Knicks to a 122-103 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night. Mikal Bridges added 27 points as New York snapped a two-game skid and solidified its hold on third place in the Eastern Conference.
OG Anunoby contributed 23 points, while Cameron Payne stepped up in the absence of Jalen Brunson, scoring 13 points and dishing out seven assists. The Knicks built a commanding 82-51 lead late in the third quarter before the Wizards staged a furious rally.
Jordan Poole led Washington with 25 points, and Marcus Smart provided a spark off the bench with 17. The Wizards, sitting at the bottom of the East standings, have now lost four straight.
Washington erupted for a 25-10 run to close the third, trimming the deficit to 92-76 heading into the final period. Smart’s three-pointer capped a 12-0 surge, bringing the Wizards within four at 92-88 with 9:14 remaining.
New York quickly responded with a 9-0 run, punctuated by a clutch three from Payne, restoring a comfortable cushion. From there, the Knicks tightened their defense and closed out the game on a 30-15 run.
Seldom-used rookie Tyler Kolek made an impact with a career-high eight assists, including seven in the first half. Payne, starting in place of the injured Miles McBride, scored 10 of his 13 points in the opening quarter.
The Wizards struggled from deep early, hitting just one of their first 10 three-point attempts before finishing 11-for-36 from beyond the arc. Kyshawn George recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Alex Sarr and Carlton Carrington combined for just 12 points on 5-of-19 shooting.
With the win, the Knicks improved to 44-26, maintaining their position in the playoff race.
