NEW YORK — The New York Knicks, who led by as many as 18 points in the third quarter, knocked off the pesky Philadelphia 76ers 119-113 in double-overtime Monday at Madison Square Garden.
The 76ers never led in the second overtime. With the score tied at 109-109 went on a brief 6-2 run to move ahead 115-111.
The Knicks (21-22) were 25 of 30 from the free-throw line. Philadelphia was 13-of-25.
Forward Carmelo Anthony returned to the Knicks’ lineup after missing two games with a sprained ankle. He scored 19 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had seven assists in 49 minutes.
Guard Arron Afflalo topped the Knicks with 25 points. New York’s rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis recorded his 16th double-double, scoring 16 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. He left the game with a sore right foot late in the fourth quarter and didn’t return.
Rookie forward Jahlil Okafor led Philadelphia (5-38) with 20 points despite sitting out the fourth quarter and both overtimes. Forward Nerlens Noel scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and guard Ish Smith added 16 points and 16 assists.
Philadelphia forward Robert Covington nailed a 3-pointer to tie it at 107-107 with seven seconds left in OT.
The Knicks re-took the lead 105-104 on a baseline jumper from Afflalo with 39 seconds left in overtime and forward Lance Thomas hit two free throws to move the Knicks lead to 107-104 with 20 seconds to play.
Smith’s layup with 3:30 left in overtime put the 76ers ahead 100-96 and a reverse layup with 1:53 to go moved the Philadelphia lead to 103-99.
Anthony sent the game into overtime with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with three seconds left in regulation. Prior to that, Philadelphia guard Ish Smith sank a jumper to give Philadelphia a 96-93 lead with 13 seconds left.
Guard Hollis Thompson missed three free throws with the Knicks ahead 93-91 with 1:23 but redeemed himself 31 seconds later with a 3-pointer to give the 76ers a 94-93 edge with 52 seconds remaining.
Guard Isaiah Canaan’s two free throws for Philadelphia tied it at 88-88 with 4:00 to go and a dunk from Noel gave the 76ers a 90-88 lead on its next possession. Noel tied at 91-91 with a free throw after a 3-pointer from Afflalo gave the Knicks a 91-90 edge with 2:47 to play.
With 1:13 left in the third, the Knicks held their biggest lead of the game at 76-58, but Philadelphia used a 17-4 run to start the fourth quarter, enabling it to get to within 80-79. Thompson drilled two 3-pointers in the sequence.
The Knicks pulled moved ahead 76-63 in the third quarter thanks to an 11-4 run in the middle of the quarter. Porzingis contributed five points in the run. Philadelphia committed seven turnovers in the third and made just 6 of 19 shots from the floor.
There were four lead changes and the score was tied on seven occasions in the second quarter before the Knicks broke a 45-45 deadlock with a 7-2 run that closed the quarter and gave them a 52-47 cushion. Guard Jose Calderon scored five points on a 3-pointer and two free throws in the burst.
Okafor poured in 12 points and Porzingis tossed in seven points and snared seven rebounds in the 29-29 first quarter.
NOTES: The Knicks have hosted a game at Madison Square Garden on Martin Luther King Jr. Day every year since 1987. … This is the third time the Knicks and 76ers have met on MLK Day. … The Knicks are 0-4 without F Carmelo Anthony in the lineup. … The 76ers were without G Nik Stauskas (contusion left shoulder), C Joel Embiid (injured right foot) and F Elton Brand (inactive). … C Kevin Seraphin (bruised right rib) did not dress for the Knicks. … Philadelphia employed its 23rd different starting lineup in 43 games. The Knicks have used just four starting lineups. … Four of Philadelphia’s five wins have come since it acquired the G Ish Smith from New Orleans on Dec. 24.