NEW YORK — John Wall had 29 points and 13 assists, scoring Washington’s final four points in the last 32 seconds as the surging Wizards beat the New York Knicks 113-110 on Thursday night.
Otto Porter Jr. made six 3-pointers for the second straight night and added 23 points, but the Wizards needed big plays from Wall down the stretch to win their fourth in a row.
He made two free throws to put Washington back on top after New York had rallied to take a 110-109 lead, then rebounded Carmelo Anthony’s miss and left all the Knicks in his dust as he raced down the floor for a dunk with 13.7 seconds to play.
Anthony finished with 34 points but Wall stole the ball from Brandon Jennings to prevent the Knicks from attempting a 3-pointer that could have tied it.
Derrick Rose added 20 points and Kristaps Porzingis came off the bench for 15 in his return from a sore left Achilles tendon.
The Wizards trailed 67-66 at halftime after Anthony scored a Knicks-record 25 points in the second quarter, then seemed to be in control after outscoring New York 34-19 to take a 100-86 lead into the fourth.
But Porzingis had an emphatic follow dunk to cap a 7-0 run that cut the deficit in half, and the Knicks came all the way back to take a 110-109 lead when Rose put back his own miss with 48 seconds to play.
Wall handled things from there as the Wizards won for the seventh time in eight games. They are 20-10 following a 3-9 start.
Porter, who matched the career high for 3-pointers he set Wednesday against Memphis, had 15 points in the third quarter. The Wizards are 12-2 when he makes three or more 3s.
Wall, the NBA leader in total steals, has one in a career-best 30 straight games.
The Wizards have won six straight at Madison Square Garden.
Joakim Noah missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle. The Knicks lost for the first time in six games this season without their starting center.
Hall of Famer Willis Reed and Allan Houston shared the previous franchise record, having both scored 24 points in a quarter. Reed also did it in the second period, while Houston’s outburst came in the fourth.
Washington improved to 2-7 on the second night of back-to-back games — with both victories against the Knicks, who are even worse in that situation. New York is 1-9, including a loss at Washington on Nov. 17.
The Wizards visit the Pistons on Saturday. The Wizards won 122-108 at home against Detroit on Dec. 16 behind 29 points and 11 assists from Wall.
The Knicks host the Suns on Saturday as coach Jeff Hornacek tries to beat his former team for the first time. Phoenix pulled out a 113-111 overtime victory against New York on Dec. 13.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.