YULO IS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 31 points and Josh Hart delivered his second straight triple-double to propel the New York Knicks to their ninth straight NBA victory on Wednesday, 119-103 over the Utah Jazz.

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With leading scorer Jalen Brunson sidelined with tightness in his right calf and Miles McBride also absent, Towns and Hart picked up the slack.

Towns added 21 rebounds and Hart scored 15 points with 14 rebounds and 12 assists and Mikal Bridges chipped in 27 points.

"Over the course of a season, whether it's injury, illness, foul trouble - you need everybody," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said of the team's ability to keep the surge going despite being short-handed.

"As a team, if you prioritize winning and doing what's best for the group, that's what makes it enjoyable," he said. "You have everyone committed to each other. When you do that, good things come from that."

Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson scored 25 points apiece for Utah, but the Jazz suffered a fifth straight defeat.

In Detroit, the Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 105-96 but saw guard Jaden Ivey go down with what looked like a serious leg injury early in the fourth quarter.