NBA schedule 2012: Knicks host Nets at MSG

Eventually Mike Woodson knew when the team’s medical staff said that Anthony would be a go after missing the last two games and five days of activity with a sprained ankle. “Doc came in and told me he was going to play after I met with you guys and I was very excited,” Woodson said with a hint of a smile on his face. Woodson rarely smiles.

Anthony scored 31 points on 22 shots and the Knicks enjoyed a satisfying 100-86 win over the Nets that provided about as much spark as a typical mid-December game against anybody else on the NBA schedule, let alone the team on the other side of the river.

The win marked the 12th consecutive victory for OKC and is the highest in the franchise’s history since the 1996 Seattle SuperSonics won 14 straight games.

Durant was wildly efficient on the evening, going 14-of-23 from the field, including 4-of-8 from the three-point line. He showed the versatility that’s made him one of the NBA’s best players by adding 13 rebounds to go along with three assists and two blocks.

The Pacers were also stellar on defense, where they held the Jazz to just 37 percent shooting from the field and 2-of-15 from three-point range. There was one quarter that doomed the Jazz, though -- it was the second, in which they scored just eight points. It forced them into a deficit that they would not recover from.

Indiana’s starting lineup was also absolutely dominant on the night -- every Utah starter had a plus-minus at -23 or worse. Derrick Favors had a solid game for the Jazz off the bench, putting up 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go along with nine rebounds, but the rest of the team struggled to put the ball in the basket.

Luckily for Gay and the Grizzlies, the Bucks as a team have been even more inept, starting 4-of-18 from the field. Memphis holds a slim lead in the early going.

The Nets were done in by a poor second half, in which they scored just 38 points. The loss on Wednesday was the third straight for Brooklyn, and drops its record to 13-12.

The Knicks have since blown the game wide open and are well on their way to 19-6. The Nets on the other hand, are about to lose their third straight game.

The two points were part of a monster 21-point half for Westbrook, as the Thunder lead the Hawks, 55-41, at Philips Arena.

For a look at Wednesday’s full slate of games, please click here.

Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks, 7 p.m., ESPN