The Knicks are officially on the upswing.
Perhaps a steam roll would be more appropriate.
Just ask the defending champion.
The Knicks' most recent opponents were, on paper, their toughest opponents.
And they beat the Nuggets again Thursday, 122-84, with an inspired performance from OG Anunoby and further evidence from Jalen Brunson that fans disrespected the Nuggets in All-Star voting.
Anunoby dropped 26 points in just 29 minutes while locking up Denver point guard Jamal Murray, his highest total since joining the Knicks.
He stole six bases and furthered his legendary plus/minus status with a plus-38.
Sometimes he impacts wins, and sometimes he turns a below-average defense into a powerhouse since Anunoby joined the Knicks.
“There's a reason the crowd screamed 'OG'. He was outstanding,” Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. “With him in the lineup, the team is 11-2. He brings the defense, he brings the offense, he brings the toughness, he brings the physicality. He and others tonight in a New York Knick uniform. The players…were great from start to finish. So give them a lot of credit for defending their home court.”
Anunoby is pleased but not surprised.
“That's what I always wanted to do. I'm looking forward to it,” he said. “We hope to make a difference.”
Brunson, who had just been horribly ignored by fans in All-Star voting, added 21 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting.
He also had a dunk in the third quarter, a rare type of finish for the 6-foot-1 point guard, giving the Knicks a 27-point lead.
This blowout loss also extended to Denver, who made their only appearance at MSG this season, throwing in the towel and sitting their starters for the entire fourth quarter.
Brunson and Julius Randle were also able to relax on the bench in the final period.
It was that kind of night for the hottest team in the Eastern Conference. But Julius Randle, now in his 10th season, downplayed its importance.
“I'm not going to lie, brother, it's the regular season,” he said. “It doesn't matter. I like the fact that we won more than anything. We don't want to be in that position. We're building the right habits. But for me it's April That’s all that matters.”
The Knicks (28-17) have won five straight and 11 of their last 13 games, moving them past the Cavaliers into fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Despite Randle's slight, Thursday's win was notable for several reasons.
First, the Knicks built a strong record by beating bad teams, with a 20-1 record against teams below .500 through Thursday.
But the Nuggets are the opposite of bad.
They are betting on the favorite to win the title with arguably the best player in the world, Nikola Jokic.
They have won five of their last six games, including Friday's victory in Boston.
However, Malone's team was no match for the Knicks, who had been without Isaiah Hartenstein for two consecutive games due to Achilles tendon strain.
They held a double-digit lead for the final 42 and a half minutes. His shooting percentage was 52.9 percent. The Nuggets were held to 40.5 percent shooting. It was complete domination.
“We definitely played well,” Brunson said. “Give us credit for how we played today. But we had a really good team and had an off night.”
In fact, the Nuggets (31-15) were at the end of a long road trip, so their legs and minds were probably tired and looking forward to going home. But that doesn't explain the extent of the explosion.
Jokic had 31 points and 11 rebounds on 13-of-18 shooting, but didn't get any help. Murray (just 9 points on 3-of-11 shooting) received “OG” chants at MSG and was shut down by Anunoby, who looked increasingly dominant.
“He's getting more and more comfortable,” Brunson said. “He played really well tonight. He was aggressive on both sides of the ball. That's the OG that we got, that's the OG that we saw playing against him. And he's the Knicks. He does it while wearing a uniform.”
It was a strong night for the home team.
