Scenes from New York falling short against the defending champs

On Thursday night, the New York Knicks (41-28) wrapped up a successful four-game Western Conference swing with a tilt against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets (49-21). New York had won the first three games of the swing, but tonight’s opponent was the toughest they would face.

The Knicks shamed Denver, 122-84, on January 25. The Nuggets sought to redeem that tonight. New York’s small-ball lineup gained an early lead and shot well, but powered by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, Denver fought back to take a 61-56 into halftime. All game long, the hosts owned the boards and they finished the third period ahead by 12. Inspired play by Deuce McBride—starting again tonight—and Alec Burks brought our heroes within two points early in the fourth, but Jokic, Murray, and Michael Porter, Jr. hit the gas to win 113-100.

New York hit 11-of-31 from deep, while Denver attempted only 20 longballs. This game was won in the paint and on the boards. For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic logged his 22nd triple-double of the season (30 points, 14 boards, 11 assists) and Porter scored 31 on 13-of-16 shooting. Jalen Brunson topped all Knicks’ scorers with 26 points and nine assists, and Isaiah Hartenstein scored a career-best 20 points in a feisty battle with Nokic. Alec Burks contributed 18 meaningful bench points, while Josh Hart had a surprisingly flat game, scoring two points, three boards, and a -21 plus-minus.

Finishing the road trip 3-1? Very acceptable. Gas up the jet, the ‘Bockers are coming home.

First Half

A small-ball lineup of Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, and Isaiah Hartenstein gained a small early lead, but the Nuggets were bent on revenge for that blowout loss to New York in January. Denver’s Jamal Murray cooked early, scoring 10 first-quarter points on seven shots. New York shot well, too, sinking 57% from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc and dishing with precision (Brunson dropped seven first-half dimes). The visitors closed the first quarter down, 32-30.

The Nugs have a decent center. So does New York.

New York went on a 12-4 run to step ahead of their hosts by midway through the quarter. They held a lead through much of the quarter, but Denver caught them napping with about a minute remaining in the half. Intermission score: Nuggets 61, Knicks 56.

The half saw 10 lead changes and 12 ties. Denver had won the boards 25-13, and outshot New York from the field, 61% to 54%. Neither team had the touch from downtown, combining for 7-of-23. Jamal Murray led all scorers with 17, and Jokic was already on his way to a triple-double, logging 16 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. The teams were dead even for points in the paint with 36 apiece.

For New York, Brunson and Hartenstein led the way with 14 and 13 points respectively. That was the most Isaiah has ever scored in a half as a pro. Alec Burks had a few head-scratching moments but scored nine valuable bench points and was a team-high +5 at halftime. The Knicks had played acceptable defense through the first half, but what can be done about Jokic? He is a basketball robot.

Second Half

The Nuggets came out of the locker on a mission. Joker kept up his pretty passing and Michael Porter, Jr. made more noise, scoring nine of his 31 points in the third quarter. New York fell behind by 10, their largest deficit of the entire road trip. Their passing . . . it can drop jaws. They finished the quarter ahead, 88-76.

Deuce McBride scored a career-high 29 points in the previous game, a win over the more diminutive Golden State Warriors. Tonight, against a taller foe, he recorded 11 points on 4-of-8 from the floor, and made 1-of-5 three-pointers. He also played 44 minutes. To start the fourth, however, he was a sparkplug, combining with Alec Burks to score seven unanswered points. While the Nuggets missed their first five field goal attempts, Bojan Bogdanovic and Burks hit timely buckets to pull within two on a 12-2 run.

Burks would finish the night with 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep.

The Nuggets are World Champs for a reason. They responded with their own seven-point tear. Isaiah Hartenstein worked hard against Nokic, and scored a career high 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three stocks before fouling out. Great effort, and the Knicks made a few lunges of resistance, but no dice. When Porter’s flipped up shot bounced around the rim for an excruciating amount of time before finally falling throught the net, it signaled what we all knew: it just wasn’t New York’s night.

Up Next

Back to MSG to host the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday in a matinee affair. Congrats on a successful road trip, Knickerbockers. Safe travels.

Box Score