MILWAUKEE — The Knicks were on life support for what felt like the 15th time Friday night, heading toward a new level of rock bottom in another wayward season.
Kristaps Porzingis had fouled out. So did Joakim Noah.
New York hadn’t led since midway through the first quarter, trailing by as many as 18 during an effort devoid of defense. But after a spirited comeback — one that required an unlikely hero in Ron Baker — Carmelo Anthony rose up with 51 seconds remaining and nailed the biggest shot of a 116-111 victory over the Bucks.
His 3-pointer gave the Knicks their first lead since midway through the first quarter, and Lance Thomas sealed it on the ensuing possession with a steal on Giannis Antetokounmpo. It assured the “Greek Freak” couldn’t break New York’s heart again. So two nights after victory snatched away by the same opponent at the Garden, the Knicks (17-19) stole one in Milwaukee.
Carmelo Anthony, Ron Baker lead Knicks rally in win over Bucks
And they needed it to snap a six-game losing streak. Desperately.
“Winning is hard, man. Winning is difficult. Especially when you’re on a losing streak. You start losing games different ways. Things don’t go your way,” Anthony said. “(Friday night) was one of those situations where we fought through and at the end of the game, we wanted it more.”
Carmelo Anthony finishes with a game-high 26 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer.
(TANNEN MAURY/EPA)Anthony finished four rebounds short of a triple-double, and carried the offense in the fourth quarter with Derrick Rose planted on the bench (coach’s decision). But he was aided by Kristaps Porzingis, who scored 24 points before fouling out with 2:44 remaining, and Baker, the undrafted rookie who played every minute of the fourth quarter.
With the Knicks trailing by 12 after the third, coach Jeff Hornacek said he wanted to try something different – specifically give the lineup some size with Baker at point guard. The strategy paid dividends with Baker dishing out four assists, playing with poise while frustrating Milwaukee point guard Jason Terry into two critical offensive fouls.
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The Knicks started the fourth quarter on a 12-0 run, and ended it with eight straight points.
“Major minutes (for Baker). Big minutes,” Anthony said. “One of the biggest reasons we came up with this victory tonight. For him to not play the whole game and be playing any game lately, for him to come in to give major minutes and be a big part of what we are doing out there, he showed something tonight.”
On a personal level, it was an important performance from Baker — whose contract can be guaranteed this weekend. He had totaled just two minutes in the previous eight games combined, and didn’t play Friday until the fourth quarter.
Kristaps Porzingis returns to action.
(TANNEN MAURY/EPA)“I mean, obviously it’s a lot of fun, it’s a lot more fun to win,” Baker said after the Knicks won for just the third time in their last 12 games. “To be in a game that’s tight like that, it gets the nerves going a little bit. But to get this game under my belt and get my first true win as an NBA player when I’m in the game, it feels good.”
Antetokounmpo’s buzzer-beater vs. Knicks shouldn't have counted
Baker claimed he didn’t realize his big contract day was around the corner.
“I just know that I’m on the 15-man roster and I’m here,” he said.
Rose dished out eight assists in 32 minutes but struggled with his shot while missing 10 of 14 field goals. Anthony had a game-high 26 points — including 12 in the fourth quarter — with 10 assists.
Thomas picked up the big steal on Antetokounmpo with 28 seconds left and a one-point lead, setting up a fastbreak dunk for Courtney Lee that sealed a win to stop the bleeding.
“We needed it. We needed it more than anything right now,” said Porzingis, who returned from a three-game absence because of a sore Achilles and dueled evenly with Antetokounmpo (25 points, six rebounds).
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