Knicks 122, Nuggets 112: “Brunson has been a god tonight.” 

Blasphemy? Perhaps. Brunson walks on water with a double-double to sink the Nuggets.

The New York Knicks (32-16) last squared off with the Denver Nuggets (28-19) on November 25 in Colorado, humiliating them to the tune of 145-118. It came as no surprise that Mike Malone’s club was better prepared for tonight’s match-up at Madison Square Garden. Despite the Knicks getting an early lead, Nikola Jokić and the Nugs kept the game close—even going ahead briefly—through the second half. Embodying the intrepid spirit of the city they call home, the Knicks never quit, and with a 30-point, 15-assist performance from All-Star Jalen Brunson, they claimed their fifth consecutive win, 122-112.

Thibs wasn’t kidding, this winning thing is like a drug. Quoth DeuceJuice: “Brunson has been a god tonight.” Hell yes, he was. Not only did he rattle off a double-double, but he did it while shooting 10-of-16 from the field, 3-of-6 from deep. Jalen was a team-high +16, stole the ball twice, and had a block in his 36 minutes. Who can ask for anything more?

New York really has Denver’s number. With all five starters in double-digits, including two double-doubles, our heroes once again showed a grit and power that makes us fantasize about the postseason. . . .

First Half

The referees are smiling on you when Nikola Jokić commits two fouls in the first two minutes of play. With Joker forced to the bench early, the Knicks made all of their first eight shots and jumped out to a 20-8 lead. The great defense that Mikal Bridges applied to Ja Morant on Monday continued tonight, only now fixed on Jamal Murray, and New York’s team defense harassed Denver into multiple turnovers and cashing them in for transition points.

Malone let Jokic ride the pine for most of the quarter, and his team was able to contend without their genius giant. After falling behind by 12 points, the Nuggets gradually chipped away at their deficit, outrebounding the Knicks 2:1. Murray scored 11 points in the quarter and by the end, New York’s lead was just 31-27.

Malone was playing some sort of three-dimensional chess to start the second quarter, continuing to leave Joker on the bench and sitting Murray next to him. While Denver’s dynamic duo sat, Russell Westbrook continued the comeback to tie the game around the 8:30 mark. The Knicks needed a spark and got it from their bench players, Deuce McBride and Precious Achiuwa, and quickly the home team was up by six again.

Jokic finally checked back in by midway through the quarter and was guarded by Achiuwa. From there, the two teams mostly traded baskets. Whenever the Nuggets threatened the lead, the Knicks responded with speedy turnarounds and OG Anunoby buckets, who led the team with 14 first half points. By the halftime buzzer, New York was ahead 60-54.

Anunoby has looked fresher over the past few games and was on a heater again tonight. He finished with 23 points and made five of seven three-pointers in his 39 minutes.

New York did a good job of protecting the ball, committing just two first half turnovers to Denver’s eight, and they dished a nifty 17 assists. But they missed six free throws and got pounded on the glass, 25-16. For the enemy, Jamal Murray scored 14 in the half and Westbrook was already threatening a double-double.

Second Half

No lead is safe against a properly performing Nuggets squad. With Murray and Jokic well-rested, they outscored the Knicks 20-8 to take an eight-point lead by midway through the third. Denver was winning the glass by 17. Karl-Anthony Towns was quiet for the first three quarters tonight. He finished with 14 points and 10 boards in 29 minutes, though, and he bagged some clutch shots—and a huge fourth quarter block—to keep the team competitive. His counterpart, Jokic, recorded only 17 points, six rebounds, and six assists. That’s a far cry from his usual stats. Evidently the coaches gameplanned to neutralize each other’s All-Star center and the strategy worked for much of the game.

The Knicks fought back, but Denver’s shooting in the third was as hot as New York’s in the first. Fortunately for them, Westbrook couldn’t keep up with Jalen Brunson. The Captain scored 18 points in this period, royally roasting Russ. Here he gets a hockey assist:

Bridges didn’t shoot well tonight (13 points, 5-of-16 shooting), but his defense was lively and handsy throughout. When the Knicks pulled off a 15-point turnaround, a Mikal triple capped it. Due to their collective determination, the ‘Bockers entered the final frame ahead, 93-86.

Denver was not ready to quit, but neither was Deuce McBride, swishing consecutive buckets. He teamed up with Cameron Payne and Anunoby to put 10 unanswered points on the board and stretch their lead to nine with eight minutes left. Still not surrendering, the Nuggets cleaned up the offensive glass and capitalized on second-chance efforts. The lead fell to four points, but the Nova boys, Brunson, Bridges, and Josh Hart played like Globetrotters, putting their squad ahead by 10 with just under three minutes left. Hart was a demon when it counted, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds and assists, and three steals.

Joker started to heat up, but so did KAT, basically nullifying each other. On Monday, New York forced Memphis into 26 turnovers. Tonight, they bothered the Nuggets into 14 and coughed it up themselves only six times. That had a lot to do with the game tilting in their favor.

Up Next

The Lakers come to town on Saturday night. Rest up, Knickerbockers.

Box Score