Knicks win fourth straight; Defeat 76ers 102-92

The New York Knicks made it four straight wins tonight with a 102-92 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Knicks struggled in the first quarter, but really changed the outcome of the game with a strong second quarter as they won that quarter 32-12. Most of that came off strong play from JR Smith and Amare Stoudemire. Both came in off the bench and really provided scoring and excellent play.

After that quarter and success from Stoudemire and Smith, the Knicks never looked back. Their defense was strong and more importantly they played a smooth game. The second half was more of the same and the Sixers really never could get close enough to make this a game.

Amare Stoudemire led the way for New York tonight. His play over the last week has really helped the Knicks get more wins. Tonight he dominated the inside and drew fouls to get to the line. Stoudemire has struggled with injuries, but when he’s healthy he is a huge factor for the Knicks.

Carmelo Anthony was also strong as he scored 18 points. But it wasn’t just the scoring from Anthony tonight as he also contributed nine rebounds and seven assists. He really played a great all around game and it showed with the nice win for the Knicks tonight. He read the defense tonight and used that to his benefit. His passing out of the double team was huge in getting the team in a flow for rhythm shots.

The 76ers played hard tonight, but just couldn’t play defense to stop the Knicks. They made untimely errors and really made it difficult for them to win with their lack of consistency.

Spencer Hawes had a great game as he scored 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists. He was dominate inside and used his quickness against the Knicks defense. He continues to show that he is a solid option at the center spot because of his ability to hit jump shots, but also play inside. Tonight he did both well, it didn’t equal a win, but overall he had a solid game.

The Knicks are looking much better from a consistency standpoint. This is their longest winning streak of the season and that shows how consistent they have been during this four game stretch.

This game started poor for the Knicks with a lot of missed shots, but they were able to turn it around to win this game.

The Knicks will next play the Phoenix Suns on Monday night looking to continue this nice steak. The 76ers will play the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night trying to get back on track.

Photo Credit: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images