Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns became the first teammates to record triple-doubles in the same game in New York Knicks history Tuesday night, when the duo led the hosts to a 128-113 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Hart finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in his team-record ninth triple-double of the season. He broke the mark shared previously with Hall of Famer and current Knicks broadcaster Walt “Clyde” Frazier, who had eight triple-doubles during the 1968-69 season.
Towns had 26 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in his third career triple-double and his first since Jan. 30, 2022, when he collected 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 126-106 win over the Utah Jazz.
Hart and Towns are only the 17th set of teammates to record a triple-double in the same game in NBA history and the second to do so this year. Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook each recorded triple-doubles for the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 30 and Jan. 10.
OG Anunoby scored a team-high 35 points for the Knicks (45-26), who outscored the Mavericks 60-45 in the second half after the teams were tied 68-68 at the half. Mikal Bridges had 21 points while Precious Achiuwa and Landry Shamet each scored 11 points off the bench as New York improved to 5-4 without Jalen Brunson (sprained right ankle).
Naji Marshall scored 38 points — but just 10 in the second half — for the undermanned Mavericks (35-38), who had their two-game winning streak snapped. Dallas fell out of a tie for 10th place — and the final play-in spot in the Western Conference — with the idle Phoenix Suns.
Anthony Davis, who returned Monday after missing games with an abductor injury, sat out for maintenance issues Tuesday as the Mavericks dropped to 9-15 since the blockbuster trade in which they sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Davis.
Brandon Williams scored 22 points off the bench for the Mavericks while fellow reserve Jaden Hardy finished with 15 points. Spencer Dinwiddie added 13 points for Dallas, which lost Kyrie Irving to a season-ending left knee injury March 3 and is also without Dereck Lively II (right ankle) and Daniel Gafford (right knee) indefinitely.
