NEW YORK -- Jeff Green has become the NBA's hottest sixth man over the past five games.

The seventh-year forward came off the bench to lead the Memphis Grizzlies in scoring for the fifth consecutive game in a 91-85 win over the New York Knicks Friday at Madison Square Garden.

Green deposited 16 points to give Memphis (30-20) its fifth win in a row and ninth victory in 10 games. He's averaging close to 19 points since his move to the bench on Jan. 19th.

Memphis reserve forward Matt Barnes added 12 points as the Grizzlies bench outscored the Knicks reserves, 53-23.

"Jeff (Green) has obviously given us a boost," said Memphis coach David Joerger. "He gives us another scoring threat when we go to a bigger lineup."

The Knicks (23-30) dropped their fourth consecutive game and the eighth in nine games.

New York guard Joe Calderon scored 18 points, and forward Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 points, pulled in 10 rebounds and blocked six shots.

The Knicks were without their top scorer, forward Carmelo Anthony, who missed his seventh game with a sore left knee. Coach Derek Fisher said before the game that an MRI on Anthony's knee revealed no structural and damage and that Anthony is day-to-day.

New York is 0-7 without him.

Anthony is averaging 21.1 points and 7.8 rebounds to go with 15 double-doubles. In his absence, the Knicks started a three-guard lineup that included Calderon, Arron Afflalo and Langston Galloway. That trio combined for 10 assists and five turnovers.

Afflalo's 3-pointer with 37 seconds to play got the Knicks within 87-85, but his 13-foot jumper to tie it with 13 seconds left was off the mark.

"He got a good look at the basket," said Fisher. "It just went in-and-out."

New York got as close as 75-71 with 7:11 to play, but Memphis used an 8-2 run to move its lead to 83-73 at the 3:39 mark. Green scored four straight in the burst.

"We just wanted to stay poised," said Memphis guard Mike Conley about the closing minutes. "We have a veteran squad and we knew if we played good defense and made our free throws we would have a chance to win.

"Give the Knicks credit. They were running hard. They had nothing to lose. Credit them for a valiant effort, but we're happy to get a win here. For us to get defensive rebounds at the end of the game says a lot about our team."

Calderon spurred a 6-0 Knicks run with two baskets, cutting the Grizzlies' lead to 57-55 with 3:50 to go in the third quarter. However, Memphis scored seven straight points in the final minute to move its advantage to 69-62.

"The tendency is to look at the end of the game," Fisher said, "but we started out down 9-0 and there was another stretch where they (Memphis) scored seven straight in the third.

"So we were minus 16 and that's tough to overcome against a team like Memphis."

Green scored eight of his 10 first-half points in the second quarter to help provide Memphis with a 50-40 cushion at the break.

A 7-2 run early in the second quarter gave New York its first lead at 31-28, before Memphis countered with a 12-2 burst to move ahead 40-33 with 5:11 left in the quarter. Green scored four points, both on dunks, in the sequence.

The Grizzlies ended the second quarter 11-of-20 from the floor and at one point made seven shots in a row.

Memphis opened the game on a 10-0 run en route to a 24-18 advantage following the first quarter.

NOTES: The Grizzlies failed to reach 100 points for the first time in 10 games. ... Memphis F Zach Randolph scored 10 points and passed Paul Arizin for 99th place in all-time NBA scoring with 16,272 points. Next on the list is ex-Knick Stephon Marbury with 16,297 points. Randolph is one of 28 players to rank among the top 100 in scoring and the top 50 in rebounding. ... Memphis has the easiest strength of schedule in February based on opponents' win percentage as of Feb. 1 (.373). ... Grizzlies F Jeff Green became the first NBA player in more than 21 years to come off the bench in four consecutive games (Jan. 25-Feb. 1) and finish as the leading scorer in each (outright or tied) and to see his team win all of them. He added to those marks by doing it again Friday. ... Memphis returns home to face the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. New York plays host to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. ... Knicks F Lance Thomas is out at least until Tuesday as he goes through concussion protocol.