Carmelo Anthony scored 12 first-quarter points and had 26 for the game as the New York Knicks (7-1) grabbed an early lead and never relinquished it in downing the Pacers (4-7) 88–76 Sunday afternoon at the Garden.
Anthony scored seven straight points in one first-quarter stretch as the Knicks held a slim 21–18 lead after one. By halftime, Indiana had mustered just 30 points as Mike Woodson’s bunch held an 11-point lead that would only once shrink to single-digits in the second half as the Knicks held the Pacers to 39.4 percent shooting.
Paul George scored 20 points and David West added 14 for Indiana which had just two scorers in double-digits.
For New York, Raymond Felton had 11 points and 8 assists while J.R. Smith hit 5 of 10 shots off the bench for 13 points.
Up next for the Knicks is a Tuesday game at New Orleans.
