If they hadn’t already, the New York Knicks have put the rest of the NBA on notice after their performance on Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets. New York welcomed the defending NBA Champions into Madison Square Garden and showed why they should be considered one of the top teams in the league.
The Knicks handled business right from the opening start, picking up a dominant 122-84 victory. The 38-point loss and deficit faced by the Nuggets is their largest of the season. The 84 points scored is also the least they have in a game during the 2023-24 campaign.
It was a wire-to-wire victory for New York, which is their seventh of the season. They methodically wore down the Nuggets, taking a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looking back as they didn’t take their foot off the gas once.
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There have been some analysts poking holes in the Knicks’ record, pointing out that they were 10 games under .500 against teams with a winning record. However, since their trade the Toronto Raptors, this has been a totally different team.
The Nuggets were the fifth team with a winning record the Knicks have faced in January and they have gone 3-2 in those contests. One of those losses, to the Orlando Magic, came without Jalen Brunson in the lineup.
In addition to Thursday night, the victories have come against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers. All three teams are considered elite and are top-three seeds in their respective conferences.
New York’s margin of victory in those contests is an incredible 26.6 points. They have outscored Minnesota, Philadelphia and Denver 362-282, which includes a 128-92 drubbing on the road in Philadelphia.
Arguably the biggest takeaway from the game against the Nuggets was the performance of the bench unit. Without Immanuel Quickley, the second unit production has dropped off, but they showed out against Denver. Their production at the end of the first quarter into the second helped the Knicks keep the positive momentum going and hold off the Nuggets.
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Quentin Grimes led the way with 19 points off the bench, and Miles McBride chipped in 13. The team received positive contributions from Josh Hart and Precious Achiwa as well, leading to a total team effort in taking down the defending champs.
If there is anyone in the NBA still underestimating the new-look Knicks, they are going to get run off the court that night, just as the road-weary Nuggets did. This is a team clicking on all cylinders who found their stride remarkably fast after a major lineup shakeup.
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