Knicks, Anunoby, Brunson, Get Career-Highs, Crush Nuggets

OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson each set personal bests in the New York Knicks' blowout victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Nov 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts towards forward OG Anunoby (8) in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

New York Knicks stars OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson struck gold against the Deneve Nuggets.

The prized imports each set career-highs on Monday night, which saw the Knicks earn a 145-118 win at the halfway point of a five-game road trip at Ball Arena. Monday was a historic night in several ways for the Knicks (10-7), who dished out a franchise single-game-best 45 assists, tying a record set in 1979.

Two nights after earning his career-best in Knicks scoring in Salt Lake City, Anunoby set his all-time overall mark with 40 points, going 16-of-23 from the field with a 5-of-7 rate from three-point range.

Nov 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) finishes off a basket past Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) and center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second half at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Brunson's equally sterling shooting night (23 points, 8-of-14, 4-of-5 from three) was complemented by a career-best 17 assists. He becomes the first Knick to put up at least 20 and 15 in the respective categories since February 2009, when Nate Robinson did so against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Though falling short of personal history, Karl-Anthony Towns was likewise productive, earning 30 points on 12-of-15 and four perfect three-point tries, grouping that with 15 rebounds. Seven different Knicks, including all five starters, reached double figures to benefit from the heaping of helpers and that group included reserve Miles McBride, who posted 13 in his first game back from a knee injury that sidelined him for the prior five.

The dominant effort from the Knicks was apparent from the get-go: Anunoby's first double of the game, appropriately earned off a Brunson assist, created a permanent lead with less than four minutes gone by and it remained forever stationed at over 10 points when the trend reversed just before the final minute, as Brunson hit a triple via an Anunoby helper.

Towns' breakout in the second (15 points, four rebounds) helped stabilize and inflate the lead, as the Knicks were ahead by a 76-53 tally at halftime. In a script-flipping from Saturday's loss in Utah, the Knicks created a plus-8 advantage on the boards and held Denver to a 5-of-17 effort from the field.

Nov 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball in the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

From there, the last lingering concern became setting history and Anunoby accomplished his in nearly flawless fashion: the two-way standout scored 18 points in the third quarter alone and hit five consecutive tries from the field (as well as a free throw garnered from an and-one) over the final 3:48 to secure his personal best. Brunson likewise had his history secured by the end of the third, picking up his 15th assist Towns' driving double.

Denver's lone form of resistance came far too late to do any real damage, as the most a 24-point onslaught from Russell Westbrook in the fourth quarter could do was trim the lead to 13. Beyond that effort, the Knicks held the Nuggets (9-7) to 2-of-10 shooting in the final frame while starters such as lasting MVP Nikola Jokic watched the rest of the carnage from the sidelines. He and the Nuggets will get a chance for revenge on Jan. 29 when they make their annual interconference visit to Madison Square Garden.

In the meantime, the penultimate game of this road trip lands on Wednesday night when the Knicks face the likely Luka Doncic-less Dallas Mavericks (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

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