Mile High Dub: Knicks Fry Nuggets For 5th Straight Win

Perhaps infuriated over Jalen Brunson's lack of All-Star invite, the New York Knicks demolished the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks took that personally.

With Brunson kept off Thursday's listing of starters for the upcoming NBA All-Star Game, he and the Knicks put up a grand showcase against the defending champion Denver Nuggets to the tune of a 122-84 shellacking at Madison Square Garden. 

New York tied a season-best with its fifth consecutive victory and picked up its largest winning margin this season. The 84 points they allowed, on the other hand, were a season-low. 

Brad Penner, USA TODAY SPORTS

Brunson showed voters what they were missing to the tune of a 21-point outing on 7-of-10 shooting though OG Anunoby proved particularly impressive: New York was plus-38 on the scoreboard while their newest starter was on the floor, and built his own case by pairing 26 points (his best output in a Knick uniform) with six steals. Those forced turnovers built a 23-5 advantage in fast-break scoring and doomed Denver to its largest deficits of the season. The Knicks' lead peaked at 38 before they showed mercy, emptying the bench just past the midway mark of the fourth quarter.

Anunoby became the first Knick to swipe at least six in a single game since Dennis Smith Jr. (February 2020) and the first to do so with at least 20 points since Carmelo Anthony (October 2013). 

Beyond Anunoby and Brunson, fellow starters Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle united for 33 points, getting most of their damage done in an opening period that saw the Knicks establish a permanent double-figure lead at 33-21. While relatively quiet on the scoresheet, Randle might've reached a triple-double if he was allowed to stay on the floor in the final stages of the mauling. He flirted with the phenomenon by doing a little bit of everything in the win, earning eight assists and seven rebounds.

Quentin Grimes tied a season-high in scoring with 19 points off the bench, joined in the double-figure brotherhood by Miles McBride (13). The Knicks' unexpected runaway was perhaps even more shocking considering the lack of interior firepower on paper, as Isaiah Haretenstein missed his second consecutive game.

But even with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic visiting, the Knicks not only put up a one-sided triumph but won the rebounding battle by a plus-four margin. Jericho Sims had eight rebounds in starting duty while Precious Achiuwa had a team-best 10 in relief, including six of the offensive variety. In the three games affected by Hartenstein's Achilles injury, the Knicks are undefeated thanks in part to Achiuwa flourishing in an expanded role, as he has hauled 30 total rebounds over his last trio. The 14 offensive boards lead the NBA in that span, tied with Clint Capela and Alperen Sengun. 

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Jokic was Denver's headliner, earning a 31-point, 11-rebound double-double though Sims and Achiuwa forced him into seven turnovers. Never known for their three-point prowess, the Nuggets also sank a season-low five from deep on 26 attempts, two coming from the arms of Jokic. 

Perhaps observers should've foreseen the Knicks' Thursday prowess: New York was the only team that did not lose to Denver (31-15) en route to its first NBA title last season. New York will have a chance to go for another sweep on March 21 at Ball Arena. 

In the meantime, the Knicks are back in action on Saturday afternoon for a matinee against the Miami Heat (3 p.m. ET, ABC).