Knicks beat Wizards for 10th straight time

[December 01, 2012]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith each scored 20 points, and the New York Knicks beat the Washington Wizards for the 10th straight time, 108-87 on Friday night.

Tyson Chandler and Ronnie Brewer each added 12 points for the Knicks, who improved to 6-0 at home and also beat the Wizards for the ninth straight time at Madison Square Garden. Both winning streaks are their longest active against one team.

Chandler finished with 10 rebounds but his 5-of-8 shooting represented a cold night after the NBA's leading shooter had made 16 of 17 over his previous two games and came in shooting 71.8 percent for the season.

Raymond Felton scored 11 points for the Knicks, who shot 53 percent from the field in their third straight game without starting guard Jason Kidd, who remains out with lower back spasms.

Jordan Crawford scored 17 points and rookie Bradley Beal had 14 for the Wizards, who beat Portland 84-82 on Wednesday for their lone victory after a 0-12 start but were never in this game after the first 10 minutes.

The Knicks led by nine after one and kept increasing their lead, going ahead by double digits throughout the second half and by as much as 23.

The only time the home fans grew restless was at the half, during the filming of a scene for the upcoming Vince Vaughn film "Delivery Man." After a hard foul, the actor playing the Knicks star had to shoot two free throws but couldn't make both, the boos growing louder with each miss until he had to be rattled.

The real Knicks had nothing to worry about.

Leading by one, the Knicks closed the first quarter with a 10-2 spurt for a 26-17 lead, holding Washington to 32 percent shooting. The Knicks then made 12 of 19 shots in the second, getting eight points from Pablo Prigioni and building a 13-point advantage before going into the locker room up 57-46 after Anthony rattled in a jumper at the buzzer.

NOTES: The Wizards' last victory in New York was Dec. 6, 2006. ... Kidd did some shooting Friday morning and hopes to return next week, though coach Mike Woodson wasn't sure, saying the Knicks would have to just continue to wait. .. Chandler's "Rebound 4 Rockaway" campaign will team up with the NBA players' association on Saturday to deliver items to families affected by Superstorm Sandy in Far Rockaway, N.Y.

[Associated Press; By BRIAN MAHONEY]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.