Knicks four-game winning streak ends with disappointing clunker against Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY — The Knicks could not fully salvage a shooting clunker Saturday night, and their longest winning streak of the season is history. The Knicks used a 17-0 run to erase all but two of a 19-point hole in the third quarter, but their shooters went cold down the stretch and their four-game surge was halted with a 121-106 loss to the Jazz at Delta Center. Imported starters Karl-Anthony Towns (16 points) and Mikal Bridges (seven) combined to shoot 9-for-34 (26.5 percent) from the field, including 14 misses in 16 attempts from 3-point range. OG Anunoby buried seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 27 points to lead the Knicks, who will continue this five-game road trip Monday night in Denver.Jalen Brunson added 23 and eight assists for the Knicks (9-7), while Lauri Markkanen scored 34 for the Jazz (4-12). After notching at least 30 assists in each of the previous three games — for the first time since 1994 — the Knicks finished with 25 to fail to make it four in a row for the first time since a seven-game streak during the 1979-80 season. Tom Thibodeau had pushed back earlier Saturday on the notion that he’s known more as a defensive coach than an offensive one.

The Knicks entered the game second in the league in offensive rating with 122.1 points per 100 possessions, but 21st in defensive rating at 115.6 per 100. “Well, I think that rarely do people do the homework.So it’s a narrative, whatever the narrative is, you tend to be, everyone’s put in a box,” Thibodeau said before the game.

“So it’s, you never let the facts get in the way.We had a top-five offense in Chicago, and had a top five offense in Minnesota. “I think people try to, and there’s a lot of narratives that you could create around certain things.

And I always feel like, whatever the strength of your club is, that’s what you should play towards.” The Knicks fell behind 13-4 in the first five minutes, and they trailed by as many as 13 in the opening quarte...