The Knicks beat the Jazz at home and won 9 consecutive victories. Towns scored 31 points and 21 rebounds

On January 2 , the NBA regular season continued, with the New York Knicks playing against the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden. Although the team's main point guard Jalen Brunson was absent due to injury, the Knicks easily defeated their opponents 119-103 with the outstanding performance of Karl-Anthony Towns, not only winning 9 consecutive games, but also sending the Jazz into a 5-game losing streak .

Towns scored a game-high 31 points and grabbed an astonishing 21 rebounds, dominating the paint. In addition, Bridges contributed 27 points, and Josh Hart scored a triple-double of 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists, making great contributions to the team's victory.

At the beginning of the game, the Jazz were in better shape, taking the initiative through accurate outside shooting and fast break scoring. However, the Knicks gradually found the rhythm of the game and used counterattacks and defense to overtake the score.

Entering the second quarter, the Knicks continued to put pressure on the defensive end, forcing the Jazz to make many mistakes. Towns began to exert his strength, scoring in the paint continuously while effectively controlling the rebounds, helping the Knicks establish a leading advantage at the end of the half.

After the break, the Jazz tried to catch up with three-pointers. Markkanen and Clarkson helped the team narrow the gap. But the Knicks, led by Towns, withstood the pressure. Hart further expanded the lead through organization and scoring. Entering the final quarter, the Knicks broke out. Towns and Hart scored consecutively, widening the gap to nearly 20 points, completely crushing the Jazz's hope of a counterattack.

Knicks player statistics

Towns 31 points and 21 rebounds, Bridges 27 points, Anu Rhys 22 points, Hart 15 points , 14 rebounds and 12 assists, Payne 8 points and 9 assists, Achiuwa 12 points

Jazz player statistics

Markkanen 16 points and 10 rebounds, Zhu Zan 10 points and 4 rebounds, Kessler 6 points , 8 rebounds and 5 assists, George 15 points and 6 assists, Sexton 25 points, Clarkson 25 points

In the absence of Brunson, the Knicks showed strong lineup depth and team cohesion. Towns not only fired on the offensive end, but also completely blocked the Jazz's second-chance opportunities with 21 rebounds. Josh Hart's triple-double performance, especially his comprehensive contribution on both offense and defense, also became an important factor in the Knicks' victory.

As for the Jazz, although Clarkson and Sexton each scored 25 points, the team's overall performance was poor, the defense was full of loopholes, and the offense was too dependent on individual ability. Markkanen's sluggish performance also made the team lose the capital to compete with the Knicks.