Knicks look to keep it together against Jazz

It took five games, but the revamped starting five for the New York Knicks has become a collective force.

Forward Kristaps Porzingis hopes the momentum continues Sunday when the Utah Jazz visit Madison Square Garden.

"It feels good to get on the right track and play the kind of basketball we want to," Porzingis said after scoring 27 points in New York's 117-104 victory in Chicago on Friday. "This is a first baby step of how we want to play as a team. This is something to build on."

All five starters were in double figures early in the fourth quarter, with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah making a triumphant return to the United Center.

Rose notched his first double-double as a Knick, recording 15 points and 11 assists. Noah contributed 16 points and nine rebounds.

Carmelo Anthony added 25 points and Courtney Lee, a free agent acquisition like Noah, tossed in 15 points.

"We were sharing the ball a lot and we did a good job of being aggressive," Porzingis said after New York improved to 2-3. "We made a lot of good plays for each other. Even though we lost the lead, we still found a way to come back. And that's the kind of basketball we want to be playing."

Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek had reprimanded his team for not getting Porzingis the ball enough after a 118-99 home loss to Houston on Wednesday, but credited better spacing to allow Porzingis to roam the perimeter.

The Jazz (3-3) could receive a boost from small forward Gordon Hayward, the team's leading scorer last season, who will be making his season debut. Hayward is expected to return from a broken finger on his non-shooting hand.

The Jazz could use his scoring prowess. Utah shot 37.5 percent from the floor in a 100-86 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. Hayward warmed up prior to the game, but did not see any action.

Power forward Derrick Favors, who averaged 16.4 points and shot 51.5 percent from the floor last season, has seen his production slip. He's averaging 8.0 points and shooting 33.3 percent.

Favors missed the season opener with a knee injury and came off the bench in his first two games back. He played a season-high 27 minutes Friday and went 3 for 13 from the field.

The continuation of the maturity process of second-year pro Trey Lyles, who turned 21 on Saturday, has Utah coach Quinn Snyder excited. Lyles will be up against Noah on Sunday, one of the more physical centers in the league.

"Trey's a talented offensive player," Snyder told the Salt Lake Tribune. "He can do things that are unique. He can pass. He can shoot. He can hit the mid-range and three-point shot. (But) he needs to read a situation before he gets the ball.

"I want him to have an idea of what he's going to do beforehand, so the ball doesn't stick. He's conscious of that. I want the emphasis to be on his reads.

"On defense, he has to come out determined and aggressive. If he's behind his man in the post, that's not what we want. We want him in front. We want him to get physically stronger and hold his ground. Not just to absorb contact, but to not get pushed out of the way.

"I see him continuing to improve."

Utah begins its first long road trip of the season as it plays five games in seven nights this week.