Josh Hart posted his second straight triple-double and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds for the third consecutive game Wednesday night as the undermanned New York Knicks pulled away from the visiting Utah Jazz in a 119-103 victory.
The Knicks extended their winning streak to nine games despite the absence of star point guard Jalen Brunson (calf), who missed a game for the first time this season, and backup guard Miles McBride, who was slated to start for Brunson before he was scratched due to a tight left hamstring.
Hart didn’t score until the final seconds of the first half yet still finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. Towns had 31 points and 21 rebounds as he became just the third Knicks player in team history — joining Hall of Famers Bob McAdoo and Patrick Ewing — to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in three consecutive games.
New York’s Mikal Bridges finished with 27 points while OG Anunoby had 22 points. Precious Achiuwa scored 12 points off the bench and put the Knicks ahead for good at 26-25 when he opened the second quarter with a dunk.
Rookie Tyler Kolek, who produced 36 points and 11 assists while playing almost 40 minutes earlier Wednesday for the G-League Westchester Knicks earlier Wednesday, added two points and four assists in 12-plus minutes for the parent club after being pressed into duty by the injuries to Brunson and McBride.
Collin Sexton and reserve Jordan Clarkson scored 25 points apiece for the Jazz, who raced out to an 18-8 lead before taking their fifth straight loss. Lauri Markkanen (16 points, 10 rebounds) posted a double-double, though he shot just 6-for-22 from the field and 1-for-10 from 3-point range. Keyonte George scored 15 points, and Johnny Juzang added 10 points.
The Knicks began taking control in the second, when Towns scored 10 points and the hosts led by as many as 13 points. The Jazz pulled within 77-73 on Clarkson’s 3-pointer with 3:01 left in the third, but New York mounted an 18-6 run bridging the quarters and eventually led by 20 down the stretch.
