Anunoby, Bridges help Knicks pull away from Trail Blazers

It was a jumper Karl-Anthony Towns has taken and made thousands of times in his career.

On the low box, a smaller defender on him.

It should have been automatic. It wasn’t.

The ball bounced off the rim and fell into the waiting hands of OG Anunoby, who then went up and dunked the ball with both hands.

A day that began with coach Tom Thibodeau marveling at Anunoby’s defense ended with the swingman helping to carry the Knicks to a 110-93 win over the Trail Blazers Sunday night at the Garden.

Anunoby scored 28 points for the Knicks (47-27), who have won consecutive games.

He was one of six players to finish in double-figure scoring on a night in which the franchise celebrated Walt Frazier’s 80th birthday.

Mikal Bridges also had 28 points on 12-for-22 shooting. Josh Hart had 14 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Landry Shamet added 11 off the bench. Towns recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Precious Achiuwa chipped in with 10 points.

The second and final contest of the regular season between the two teams was a rematch 18 days in the making. The Knicks beat the Trail Blazers, 114-113, on Bridges’ overtime, buzzer-beating three-point basket on March 12.

So, naturally, Bridges in a personal game of can-you-top-this?, drilled a buzzer-beating running three at the end of the first quarter to give the Knicks a 27-25 lead.

Which seemed to spark the Knicks, who used an 18-10 spurt over the first 6:32 of the second quarter to extend the advantage to 45-35. But the Trail Blazers ended the quarter on a 23-5 run and went into halftime with a 58-50 lead.

The Trail Blazers shot 55.8% (24-for-43) from the field in the opening 24 minutes. Portland finished the game having made 43.7% of its shots from the field (36-for-87) but only 25% of its threes (9-for-36).

Trail Blazers forward Dani Avdija led all scorers with 33 but Portland fell to 32-43. Shaedon Sharpe finished with 23 and Toumani Camara had 16.

Portland (32-43) finished the game having made 43.7% of its shots from the field (36-for-87) but only 25% of its threes (9-for-36).

The only Knicks to score in double figures in the first half were Anunoby (15) and Achiuwa (10). Achiuwa made all five of his shots from the field in the second quarter.

The Knicks outscored Portland 29-20 in the third quarter to take a 79-78 lead going into the fourth. The Knicks were sparked by their defense as they held Portland to 9-for-26 shooting in the quarter.

And the Knicks took advantage offensively. Bridges scored eight points in the quarter on midrange baskets, Anunoby had two breakaway dunks and Mitchell Robinson had a dunk of his own.

The Knicks extended their lead to 92-83 with a 13-5 run over the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. The spurt began with a Shamet three. Which was followed by Bridges scoring seven straight points and a Hart bucket and free throw nearly two minutes apart.

Still the lead was only nine points. And shortly thereafter it was trimmed to 92-87 after Simmons converted two free throws and added a bucket.

Bridges and Anunoby responded with jumpers 40 seconds apart to push the advantage to 96-87.

From there, the Knicks methodically pulled away.

Notes & quotes: During his pre-game availability, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said Deuce McBride “is close.” McBride has not played since the Knicks’ 115-98 loss to the Hornets in Charlotte on March. 20 with a groin injury . . . Thibodeau said Cam Payne (ankle) is “day-to-day.”