Karl-Anthony Towns posted another double-double on Monday night and had 16 points during a strong third quarter that helped the New York Knicks pull away for their most decisive win of the season, a 143-106 rout of the visiting Memphis Grizzlies.
Towns finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds for his 37th double-double of the season.
Mikal Bridges scored a game-high 28 points to lead seven scorers in double figures for the Knicks, who led nearly wire-to-wire in winning their fourth straight game.
Jalen Brunson had 20 points and OG Anunoby added 15 while Miles McBride (14 points), Precious Achiuwa (14) and Cameron Payne (11) all scored in double figures off the bench as New York recorded its most lopsided win since a 145-101 rout of the Toronto Raptors on March 27, 2024.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 21 points for the Grizzlies, who had their second six-game winning streak of the season come to an end.
Memphis’ Desmond Bane had 16 points while Ja Morant, Santi Aldama and Brandon Clarke finished with 10 apiece. Zach Edey (nine points, 11 rebounds) just missed a double-double.
Bane’s layup to open the game gave the Grizzlies their lone lead. The Knicks opened up a 23-10 lead on Anunoby’s dunk with 4:46 left in the first quarter before Jackson had nine points during a 21-11 run to end the period that pulled Memphis within 34-31.
The Knicks led by as many as 11 points in the second, where the Grizzlies got within three twice before McBride and Anunoby combined for the final five points of the first half to extend New York’s lead to 60-52 at the break.
The Knicks scored the first seven points of the third quarter and went on to outscore the Grizzlies 42-32 in the frame. Brunson had 12 points during the third. New York expanded its lead to as many as 39 points in the fourth.
–Field Level Media
