Anthony returns, Knicks surprise Spurs 105-101

SAN ANTONIO -- Iman Shumpert scored a career-high 27 points, including the tiebreaking tip-in with 23.4 seconds left, and Carmelo Anthony had 27 points and 12 rebounds in his return from injury as the New York Knicks surprised theSan Antonio Spurs 105-101 on Thursday night.

Amare Stoudemire added 11 points and Beno Udrih andAndrea Bargnani had 10 each for New York (10-21), which snapped a three-game skid.

Marco Belinelli had a career-high 32 points, but missed a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute for San Antonio (25-8). Tony Parker had 12 points and Manu Ginobili added 11 points and 12 assists.

The Spurs dropped to 12-5 at home this season. They had won three in a row overall.

The Knicks' skid coincided with Anthony sitting out with a sprained left ankle, but the All-Star forward looked refreshed in revitalizing the team's struggling offense.

After scoring 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting in the first three quarters, Anthony was limited to four points in the final period while going 1 for 5. But those last four points were critical in a frenzied finish.

Following consecutive 3-pointers by Parker and Belinelli that pulled San Antonio to 96-94 with 3 minutes left, Parker's layup gave the Spurs a 98-96 lead.

Anthony tied the game with a driving layup, and Parker missed a contested layup. Shumpert then hit a 3 with 39.1 seconds remaining after the Knicks captured a loose ball that six players touched at one point.

Belinelli tied the game with a 3-pointer off an inbounds play drawn up during a timeout.

Shumpert then rose high above San Antonio's interior defenders to tip in a missed shot with 23.4 seconds remaining, giving New York a 103-101 lead. Belinelli missed a 3 and Anthony drained a pair of free throws to seal it.

NOTES: Knicks F Metta World Peace (sore knee) and G Pablo Prigioni (broken right toe) did not play. ... San Antonio celebrated ''70's Night,'' but apparently word didn't reach the public. Aside from the team's two in-house announcers, mascot and Silver Dancers, only a pair of fans were seen in 1970s attire. ... A Knicks fan in attendance flashed a ''Chris Smith 4 MVP'' sign in honor of the J.R. Smith's brother, waived Tuesday to make room for Jeremy Tyler. ... It was a rough second half for official Marc Davis. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Parker and Tim Duncan all charged toward Davis after a late whistle against Kawhi Leonard on Anthony in the third quarter. Both teams were already in transition off a defensive rebound when Davis ruled Anthony missed the shot because Leonard hit him on the arm. Davis later ruled a ball went out of bounds against the Spurs when replays showed that not only did it last touch Shumpert, but it was still a foot inbounds when Duncan picked it up. In the fourth quarter, Popovich told Davis ''get it right'' after the San Antonio coach saw a replay showing Patty Mills was outside the circle on a block he was issued. Popovich later told Davis ''good call'' when Parker hit Udrih's arm in the final 3 minutes of the game.