NY Knicks avoid 4Q collapse, edge Hawks on the road

The New York Knicks survived a fourth quarter rally from the Atlanta Hawks and notched the surprising 107-101 road victory on Tuesday (Wednesday in Australia).

Carmelo Anthony and Arron Afflalo led the way for the Knicks, scoring 23 each including clutch baskets in the final minutes of the fourth quarter when the Hawks were aiming to make a comeback.

The Knicks led 87-71 entering the final quarter but the Hawks rallied back to cut it down to three points, 101-98 with over a minute to go in the game. However, Anthony made a crucial 20-foot jump shot and the Knicks held on to the lead and the road victory, just their eighth in 19 away games this season.

Anthony added 11 rebounds and 7 assists for a double-double for the night while Afflalo followed up his 38-point performance the previous game with another good shooting night, going 9-of-17 from the field including a perfect 2-of-2 field goals from behind the arc.

Knicks prized rookie Kristaps Porzingis also posted a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds while front court partner Robin Lopez had 9 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Derrick Williams came off the bench to score 15 points for the Knicks, which has won back-to-back games after losing five of their previous six games.

All the Hawks’ starters finished in double-figure scoring led by Paul Millsap, who had 19 points and 7 rebounds, and Jeff Teague, who had 16 points. Al Horford finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Atlanta has lost back-to-back games and fell to 21-15 for the season and 12-7 at home.

The Hawks have a chance to return to the win column on Thursday when they face the lowly Philadelphia 76ers. Meanwhile, the Knicks continue a tough road trip facing the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs in their next two games.