The New York Knicks ended their three-game skid Wednesday night with a 130-119 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum behind a triple-double from Karl-Anthony Towns and a dominant rebounding performance.
OG Anunoby led New York with 25 points and 13 rebounds, while Towns finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his fourth triple-double of the season.
Mikal Bridges added 24 points as the Knicks improved to 48-28 and strengthened their grip on third place in the Eastern Conference standings.
New York entered the night one and a half games ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were idle Wednesday.
The visitors set the tone early by attacking the paint and controlling the boards. The Knicks missed only two of their first 15 shots and finished the opening quarter with a 22-8 advantage in points in the paint and an 11-2 edge on the glass.
That early execution carried into a high-scoring first half. New York shot 71 percent from the field and connected on seven of its first 10 three-point attempts.
The Knicks built a 79-62 halftime lead, marking their highest-scoring first half of the season. The total fell just short of the 83 points the team scored in the second half against Minnesota on Nov. 5.
Memphis made a push in the third quarter and trimmed the deficit to 90-87 after a scoring burst midway through the period.
New York responded by tightening its half-court offense and regained separation before the end of the quarter, taking a 99-90 lead into the fourth.
The Knicks maintained control late by continuing to dominate the glass. New York outrebounded Memphis 49-20, the lowest rebounding total in Grizzlies franchise history.
Josh Hart contributed across the board with five points, six rebounds and six assists, while Jose Alvarado added 15 points and four assists in the backcourt.
Landry Shamet provided a scoring lift from the bench with 13 points, and Tyler Kolek recorded nine points and seven assists in 19 minutes.
The Grizzlies, who entered the game short-handed due to injuries, were led by GG Jackson’s 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper finished with 17 points and Cedric Coward added 15, while Cam Spencer contributed 10 points and eight assists.
Memphis shot 51 percent from the field and hit 16 three-pointers but struggled to generate second-chance opportunities because of New York’s rebounding advantage.
The loss dropped the Grizzlies to 25-50 as the club continues to navigate injuries across the roster late in the season.
Earlier Wednesday, forward Brandon Clarke was arrested in Arkansas on drug and reckless driving charges. Clarke has missed most of the season while recovering from knee surgery and a right calf strain.
New York will return home Friday night to host the Chicago Bulls. Memphis remains at FedExForum and will face the Toronto Raptors on Friday.
