NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony nearly posted his first triple-double of the season, but the loudest roars from the fans at Madison Square Garden belonged to rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis on Sunday night.

Anthony had 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for his 11th double-double of the season in the Knicks' 100-88 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, but his frontcourt teammate was the one who dazzled.

Porzingis, the fourth overall pick in the June draft, finished with 15 points, six rebounds, five blocked shots and a few momentum-shifting plays.

In a 1:20 sequence early in the third quarter, Porzingis drilled a 3-pointer, soared for a putback dunk, then hustled to block Bucks forward John Henson's drive. That ignited a run-out with Anthony pulling up for a 14-foot jumper that gave the Knicks a commanding 62-49 cushion.

"I just try to go for the offensive rebound. I know the crowd loves it," Porzingis said. "Every spectacular play we gain energy on the defensive end."

"I'm not surprised," Knicks coach Derek Fisher said of Porzingis' highlights. "He makes plays on both ends of the floor. I think he's shown it before that he's extremely competitive.

"That's the part that's easy to underestimate when you look at him. You don't necessarily see a tough guy, but he plays as hard as he can."

When Knicks center Robin Lopez (13 points, nine rebounds) fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, Porzingis shifted over to the pivot.

"I felt like we could go with Porzingis and make him work as much as possible," Fisher said.

Porzingis impressed Milwaukee interim coach Joe Prunty, who is filling in for Jason Kidd while he recuperates from hip surgery.

"You have to give him (Porzingis) credit," Prunty said. "He's long, he's athletic and he can be a presence at the rim."

New York has won five of its last seven games and has a chance to get to .500 for the eighth time this season when the Boston Celtics visit the Garden on Tuesday.

Milwaukee (15-24) received 28 points and 10 rebounds from center Greg Monroe and 20 points from guard Khris Middleton.

Milwaukee got within 88-78 with 5:30 left, but New York went on a 12-3 run to move ahead 100-81 with 2:15 to play.

An 11-2 Knicks burst closed out the third quarter and extended their lead to 82-60. Anthony was responsible for five of those points and one assist.

The Bucks converted just seven of their 23 shots from the field in the third quarter (30.4 percent). The Knicks sealed off the lane, blocking four shots.

The Knicks were able to get some separation in the second quarter, breaking a 36-36 tie with a 15-5 run that resulted in a 51-41 halftime lead. Anthony was the focus of the burst with five points and two assists.

New York erased a 14-9 deficit by going on a 13-4 run to move ahead 22-18 with 3:08 left in the first quarter. Middleton's two free throws with 17 seconds left tied it 24-24.

NOTES: The Bucks were without G Jerryd Bayless (sprained left ankle), G O.J. Mayo (sore left hamstring) and G Greivis Vasquez (right ankle surgery). ... G Cleanthony Early was out for the Knicks, recuperating from a gun-shot wound to his knee. ... Knicks F Carmelo Anthony recorded at least five assists in 10 of 38 games this season compared with seven such instances in 40 games last season. Anthony is averaging 3.7 assists, nearly equaling his career high of 3.8. ... Knicks F Kristaps Porzingis was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December. It was the second straight month he claimed the award. He ranked second among East rookies in scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg) and first among all rookies in blocked shots (2.20 bpg) in December. ...Bucks coach Jason Kidd traveled with the team for the first time since right hip surgery in late December, coming to New York to meet with his doctor and get an X-ray. There is no timetable on his return to the bench. ... Bucks G Michael Carter-Williams was 1 of 8 from the field and finished with four points, six assists and five rebounds. He had double-doubles in his previous two games. The Knicks are 13-2 when scoring 100 or more points.