Sports

Knicks End Long Road Trip With Convincing Win Over Phoenix

January 26, 2018 / 11:39 PM EST / CBS New York

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PHOENIX (AP) — Enes Kanter scored 15 of his 20 points in the first quarter and the New York Knicks never trailed all night, ending their longest road trip of the season with a 107-85 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

Kristaps Porzingis added 19 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. 15 for the Knicks on the final stop of a seven-game trip that ended with games on consecutive nights at Denver and Phoenix. Trey Burke scored 15 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter for New York.

T.J. Warren scored 20 points, and Josh Jackson had 18 for Phoenix.

The Suns' Devin Booker was ejected after drawing his second technical foul with 4:03 left in the third quarter. He also was called for a flagrant one foul earlier in the quarter. Booker scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

The Suns never led for the second game in a row, losing their third straight and sixth in their last seven.

New York opened the second half with a 14-2 run to lead 67-51 on Porzingis' fast-break dunk. The run featured the flagrant foul against Booker, who grabbed Hardaway by both shoulders on a breakaway dunk, pulling the Knicks guard backward onto the floor on a layup attempt.

Booker was tossed after exchanging shoves with Kanter under the Phoenix basket. Kanter also drew a technical on the play. Booker's first technical came when he slammed the ball against the standard after a foul call against teammate Troy Daniels in the first half.

The Knicks made their first eight shots and jumped to a 22-7 lead but the Suns tied it at 39-39 and were down only 53-49 at the break.

TIP INS

Knicks: New York went 3-4 on the trip. ... Knicks haven't played at home since a loss to New Orleans on Jan. 14. ... New York has no road trip longer than four games the rest of the season. ... Knicks swept the two games with Suns this season after Phoenix won both in 2016-17. ... Knicks are 12-12 against the Western Conference.

Suns: Phoenix was down to one true center, Monroe, after Tyson Chandler was a late scratch due to illness. Alex Len already was out with an ankle injury. ... Booker got his first start of the season at point guard. Daniels started at off-guard. ... Len missed his second straight game with a sore ankle. ... Marquese Chriss, back after missing six games with a sore hip, was 1-for-12 from the field for three points.

UP NEXT

Knicks: Host Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

Suns: At Houston on Sunday.