Josh Hart notches triple-double, leads Knicks over Wizards

Josh Hart posted a triple-double Monday night for the visiting New York Knicks, who extended their winning streak to eight games by pulling away from the Washington Wizards for a 126-106 victory.

Hart finished with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in his third triple-double of the season and the ninth of his career -- the fourth-most in team history.

Karl-Anthony Towns (32 points, 13 rebounds) had a double-double, while OG Anunoby finished with 18 points and eight rebounds for the Knicks, whose winning streak is their longest since an eight-game run from Dec. 4 through Dec. 21, 2022.

Jalen Brunson also had 18 points while Mikal Bridges added 13 points.

Jonas Valanciunas scored 22 points off the bench for the Wizards, who have lost 23 of 26 since splitting their first four games. Starters Malcolm Brogdon and Alex Sarr had 18 points apiece while reserve Corey Kispert finished with 16 points.

Neither team led by more than seven points in the first half. Hart keyed a 17-3 run in the second, scoring 14 points as the Knicks took their first seven-point lead, 50-43, with 5:18 left.

Brogdon scored the final five points of the half for the Wizards, who pulled within two points (59-57) before scoring six of the first 10 points of the second half to tie the game at 63-63 on Carlton Carrington's 3-pointer with 9:33 left.

Anunoby drained a 3-pointer on the next possession to put the Knicks ahead for good and begin a 16-7 run. The Wizards answered with a 13-5 stretch, twice pulling within one point -- the last at 84-83 on a 3-pointer by Kispert with 2:51 left.

But New York responded by taking control with its own 13-5 run to take a 97-88 lead at the end of the third. The Knicks maintained a double-digit lead for the final eight minutes and opened up a 21-point lead at 120-99 on Towns' dunk with 4:21 left.

--FLM Media