NBA: Knicks snap skid with win over Pelicans

New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony puts up a shot during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans Monday, Jan.19, 2015, at Madison Square Garden in New York. Anthony led all scorers with 24 points as the Knicks defeated the Pelicans 99-92. AP

NEW YORK, United States – The longest single-season losing streak in the New York Knicks’ history is over.

Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points and pulled down nine rebounds as the Knicks snapped their 16-game NBA skid on Monday with a 99-92 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

It was a close-run thing, as the Pelicans cut a 15-point first-half deficit to just one point with less than two minutes to play.

But Spanish guard Jose Calderon came up with his biggest basket of his first season in New York when he drained a three-pointer with 32.7 seconds remaining to give the Knicks a four-point lead and they held on for their first win since December 12.

Anthony sealed the outcome by making three of four free throws down the stretch.

Langston Galloway added 21 points and Amare Stoudemire chipped in 14 points and six rebounds off the bench for the Knicks, who had just four turnovers.

“We didn’t really talk about how many games we had lost,” Knicks coach Derek Fisher said. “We had to act as if we expected this at some point. Obviously, we enjoy it … it feels good to win.”

RELATED STORIES

NBA: Warriors blow out Nuggets to extend home dominance
Phil Jackson takes blame for Knicks’ failures