Knicks maul Blazers in game without D’Antoni
J.R. Smith scored 25 points and Steve Novak added 20 as the New York Knicks rolled to a 121-79 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers just hours after the franchise accepted the resignation of coach Mike D’Antoni. Amar’e Stoudemire had 17 points and Carmelo Anthony added 16 as the Knicks snapped a six-game losing streak. Gerald Wallace had 15 points and 12 rebounds and LaMarcus Aldridge also scored 15 points for slumping Portland, which has lost seven of nine games. New York came out recharged and led by 26 points at halftime in its first game under interim coach Mike Woodson, who was appointed when D’Antoni resigned after the mid-day shootaround. New York had a hot streak when Jeremy Lin helped the Knicks win seven straight games. The team had lost eight of 10 games since Anthony returned from a groin injury and there were reports that D’Antoni and Anthony were clashing. New York scored the final 13 points of the opening quarter to take a 27-12 lead. The lead reached as many as 28 in the second and the Knicks led 55-29 at halftime. Portland cut New York’s lead to 22 points entering the fourth quarter before the Knicks knocked down 10 3-pointers during a 43-point outburst. Iman Shumpert added 14 points and Baron Davis recorded 10 assists for New York.
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