NEW YORK -- Joakim Noahs illness made it an unsettling morning for the Knicks backup centers. Carmelo Anthony made sure it was a smooth afternoon.Anthony matched his season high with 31 points and New York beat the Atlanta Hawks 104-94 on Sunday for its fourth straight home victory.Anthony has never been a morning person, but he wanted to come out aggressively Sunday after the Knicks followed a loss Thursday in Washington with a lengthy meeting Saturday featuring players, coaches and even team president Phil Jackson.Some nights like today calls for me to get it going early, Anthony said. My mindset was just to come out and get it going early.Kristaps Porzingis added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who led most of the way against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.Dwight Howard had 18 points and 18 rebounds, but point guard Dennis Schroder missed all eight shots as the Hawks dropped their second straight following a six-game winning streak.I feel like we didnt play well enough on the road. You have to bring a better game but give the New York Knicks credit, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. Carmelo played a heck of a game, hit a lot of tough shots.The Knicks didnt have Noah to defend Howard after doctors sent him home because of an illness. Kyle OQuinn was told during pregame he would start, and rookie Marshall Plumlee had to rush into the city by train and then taxi after he received a morning phone call and was told he would be called up from Westchester of the NBA Development League to make his NBA debut.Opportunity knocked and we were all ready as a team defensively, OQuinn said.Howard bounced back nicely after he was ejected for a flagrant foul Friday in the Hawks 100-96 loss in Charlotte, while Paul Millsap led Atlanta with 19 points and Kyle Korver scored 17.Derrick Rose and Courtney Lee both scored 14 points and OQuinn had eight points and eight rebounds.The Knicks led by two with 7 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter before Anthonys jumper started them on a 12-0 burst. Willy Hernangomezs three-point play extended New Yorks lead to 65-51.Atlanta never made a serious dent in the lead, as the Knicks repeatedly hit 3-pointers every time it seemed the Hawks were building momentum.Anthony banked in a long jumper from the right side to end the first quarter, giving the Knicks a 24-20 lead that they expanded to 46-41 at halftime.TIP-INSHawks: Howard had his 10th double-double of the season by halftime. ... Thabo Sefolosha was active after missing the last two games with a sprained left knee but didnt play.Knicks: Plumlee was scoreless in 5 1/2 minutes after getting out of his cab in traffic and sprinting to the arena. When I got here they said, `Hey, do you need a warm up? he said. I said, `No, Im already warm. I ran here. ... The Knicks beat the Hawks for the third straight time.SCHRODERS STRUGGLESSchroder finished with one point and three assists, sitting out the entire fourth quarter.Personally didnt feel good, he said. I didnt hit my shots. I didnt play like I did before but I got to do a better job of being ready to prepare myself.HOWARDS HACKHoward was tossed Friday when he elbowed Cody Zeller midway through the fourth quarter. Budenholzer said he talked to Howard about the play but wants him to keep providing toughness. Hopefully he can find ways to be physical, let the other team feel him but still do it within kind of the confines of whats appropriate, Budenholzer said. I think to be ejected was probably the right thing and he knows it, but he also knows he wants to continue to play physical and be a presence on the boards.UP NEXTHawks: Host New Orleans on Tuesday. Atlanta is 6-1 at home.Knicks: Host Portland on Tuesday, trying to snap a four-game home losing streak to the Trail Blazers.Mark Eichhorn Jersey . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. Sam Gaviglio Jersey . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/1436h-teoscar-hernandez-jersey-blue-jays.html . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. Wholesale Blue Jays Jerseys . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. Mark Buehrle Blue Jays Jersey . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg.PITTSBURGH -- Isaiah Still converted a layup with 15 seconds left and Clive Allen hit four straight free throws as Robert Morris held off Duquesne, 64-60 in the Colonials at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday night.Mike Lewis II hit a 3-pointer with 3:32 left to tie the game at 55-55 and hit a layup with :30 left to give the Dukes a 59-58 lead.For the first time Robert Morris plays two games in Pittsburgh, 17 miles from its home in Moon Township. The second is December 21 against Buffalo.Thhe game renewed a rivalry that was last indulged on December 11, 1986, a 74-70 win for the Dukes.ddddddddddddtill finished with 22 points to lead Robert Morris (3-7), which was 25 of 60 from the field. The Colonials now are 2-4 all-time against Duquesne.Lewis led four Dukes into double-figure scoring with 15 points. Duquesne (4-6) was 23 of 60 shooting. ' ' '