Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Carmelo Anthony's 27 points and 11 rebounds propelled the New York Knicks to their first winning streak in over two months by virtue of Wednesday's 98-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jose Calderon contributed 15 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 13 in New York's second consecutive triumph. The Knicks ended a franchise-record 16- game skid with Monday's 99-92 decision over New Orleans.
It's only the second time this season the Knicks, who entered this matchup between the Eastern Conference's bottom two teams with a league-worst 6-36 record, have won back-to-back games. The other time came from Oct. 30-Nov. 2 in the club's second and third outings of the season.
"For the players it feels great," Knicks head coach Derek Fisher said of the consecutive wins. "Sometimes you need some positive feedback."
The Sixers received 27 points, seven assists and five steals from Michael Carter-Williams, but shot just 36.7 percent from the field in their third consecutive loss.
Robert Covington added 17 points for Philadelphia and Henry Sims posted 11 points and 12 rebounds in defeat.
The Knicks never trailed after taking the lead late in the second quarter and were able to create some distance near the end of an otherwise tightly contested first half. A 9-2 run capped by Amare Stoudemire's putback slam 9.8 seconds prior to the intermission staked New York to a 49-42 advantage before Carter Williams sunk a last-second shot to bring Philadelphia within seven at the break.
Anthony, playing in his third straight game after missing six in a row to rest then buried consecutive 3-pointers to begin a third quarter in which the Knicks maintained a double-digit differential much of the way. New York was up by at least eight throughout the period and carried a 74-62 lead into the fourth.
The Sixers did make a push during the final frame, with Carter-Williams tallying the final seven points of a 9-2 surge that trimmed the margin to 78-75 with seven minutes to go.
A Covington triple with 1:40 remaining had Philadelphia within 91-87. The teams then hit two free throws on their next possessions before Knicks rookie Langston Galloway delivered the dagger, collecting an offensive rebound and draining a corner 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down that put New York up 96-89 with 15.3 seconds showing.
"Give him credit," Sixers head coach Brett Brown said of Galloway, a product of nearby Saint Joseph's University. "Local kid comes home, hits a fadeaway in the corner, you give him credit."
After both teams struggled to score during an opening quarter that ended in an 18-18 tie, the Knicks began the second on a 9-2 run before the Sixers countered with an 11-2 push to claim a 31-29 edge just over five minutes into the stanza.
Game Notes
The 76ers recorded a season-high 13 blocks, including a career-best eight from rookie Jerami Grant ... The Knicks halted an eight-game road losing streak and won for just the third time in 22 games as the visitor this season ... Philadelphia center Nerlens Noel missed the game due to an upper respiratory infection ... The Knicks prevailed for the sixth time in their last seven trips to Wells Fargo Center.
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