Portland, Ore. — Jalen Brunson powered a balanced New York attack Sunday night, scoring 26 points as the Knicks ended Portland’s five-game winning streak with a 123–114 road victory.
OG Anunoby followed closely with 24 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Mikal Bridges filled the stat sheet with 18 points, six assists and six rebounds as New York rebounded from a recent slump, snapping a stretch in which it had dropped five of its previous six games.
Portland was led by Deni Avdija, who finished with 25 points, but concern arose late when the forward appeared to injure his back while battling for a rebound. Avdija headed to the locker room in the closing moments, and the severity of the injury was not immediately known.
The Knicks appeared in control after building a 10-point cushion during the third quarter, but the Blazers stormed back early in the fourth. Robert Williams III threw down a dunk to tie the game at 92, and Avdija followed with a floater and a free throw to briefly give Portland the lead.
The game remained tight down the stretch until Miles McBride knocked down a pull-up three-pointer to put New York ahead 109–104 with 3:47 remaining. Brunson then delivered the decisive blow, burying a three with 2:23 left to extend the Knicks’ lead to 117–107, sealing the outcome.
New York also welcomed back starting forward Josh Hart, who returned after missing time with an ankle injury sustained on Christmas Day. Hart made an immediate impact, scoring 18 points, including 12 in the first half.
Portland saw the return of guard Jrue Holiday, who had been sidelined since mid-November with a calf injury. Holiday, who was averaging 16.7 points and a career-high 8.3 assists prior to the injury, logged 16 minutes and scored eight points in his return.
The first half featured a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to create separation until late in the second quarter. A basket by Towns helped New York take a 60–54 lead into halftime. Brunson opened the second half with a running layup to push the advantage to 72–62, but Portland steadily chipped away, closing within 90–88 early in the fourth quarter before the Knicks closed strong.
**Up next:**
The Knicks continue their road trip Wednesday night at Sacramento.
The Trail Blazers head to Golden State for a matchup Tuesday night.
