Knicks Power Through in Double Overtime

Jalen Brunson had reached his limit.

After watching the Knicks squander two opportunities to finish the game—once at the end of regulation and again in the first overtime—he decided it was time to step up.

Brunson kicked off double overtime by scoring the Knicks’ first six points, then he set up Landry Shamet for a crucial layup with a perfect pass.

When the gap narrowed to three points, he calmly sank a floater to push the Knicks ahead.

On Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks triumphed over the Nuggets 134-127 in double overtime, marking an eighth consecutive win for the team. In this matchup, Brunson was the undeniable hero, much like a caped crusader facing off against a notorious adversary.

But the real challenge came from Jamal Murray. Recently named an All-Star for the first time, he undeniably played the part, scoring 39 points and frequently threatening to derail the Knicks’ winning streak.

Despite that, Murray’s most significant opportunity slipped away at the end of the first overtime.

Open and poised, he had a chance to clinch it, but his three-pointer barely missed.

If only the rebound had traveled a bit further, the game would have ended right then and there.

With just 0.3 seconds remaining, a dubious loose-ball foul was called on Mikal Bridges, sending Christian Braun to the line, who made both free throws to push the game into double overtime.

Still, Bridges rebounded by hitting a vital corner three-pointer during the second overtime, securing a seven-point lead for the Knicks.

Brunson ended the night with an impressive 42 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic managed a triple-double with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists—though his three-point shooting was dismal, hitting only 1-of-13 attempts.

The Knicks found themselves down by three points in overtime, but Karl-Anthony Towns contributed with a putback and Shamet added a three-pointer, allowing them to regain a slender lead.

Jokic quickly equalized, but Shamet couldn’t convert on his attempt from beyond the arc.

A block from Brown led to a foul on OG Anunoby, which was overturned after a Nuggets challenge. Then, Mitchell Robinson displayed tenacious defense against Murray, tipping the ball away and forcing a shot clock violation, handing the Knicks a two-point lead before Towns scored again.

Even at the end of regulation, the Knicks were close to sealing the win.

With the score tied at 106-106 and just over a minute left, Brunson went past Christian Braun for a layup, giving the Knicks a short-lived two-point lead.

Robinson managed to force a mistake from Jokic immediately after, recovering the ball, but the Knicks struggled to capitalize further. Bridges missed a shot as the shot clock expired, allowing Murray to tie the game with a jumper. Brunson later missed a potential game-winner, and after a timeout, Jokic’s near three-pointer sent the game into overtime.

Robinson had success guarding Jokic early on but found himself in foul trouble, picking up his third foul in the second quarter. Coach Mike Brown juggled Robinson and Towns until Towns fouled out at the end of the first overtime.

Murray launched the Nuggets in the first quarter, scoring 18 consecutive points. Remarkably, he was mostly supported only by Jokic and a brief appearance from Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored three free throws early on.

Towns endured a tough moment when he collided with Spencer Jones, resulting in a cut above his right eye. Despite this, he stayed in long enough to hit a couple of free throws before heading to the locker room, returning bandaged up to contribute successfully to a 9-0 run for the Knicks.

Interestingly, Bridges didn’t score until nearly ten minutes into the game.

This winning streak has begun to demand more effort from the Knicks than the previous seven games.

Nonetheless, they continue to push forward with strong momentum.