Denver Double! Knicks End Dubious Streaks vs. Nuggets
A fateful five-game road trip for the New York Knicks has started off on a Rocky Mountain high.
Behind a dominant 34-point, 11-rebound effort from Julius Randle, the Knicks were able to put wins in the first two slots in the trip, as Wednesday produced a 106-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. The victory comes just over 24 hours after New York (8-7) prevailed over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
The Knicks have now strung together consecutive wins for the first time since a three-game streak in their first trio of Madison Square Garden contests (Oct. 21-26). That wasn't the only cursed metropolitan streak that ended on Tuesday, as the Knicks also earned their first victory in Denver since November 2006, as well as their first victory against the Nuggets overall since October 2017.
Each streak seemed destined to continue, as Denver (9-5) was looking for a statement victory without the services of Nikola Jokić. Though the two-time defending NBA MVP was placed into health-and-safety protocols on Tuesday, a recent departure from that list, Bones Hyland, seemed poised to push Denver ahead by leading a sterling performance from Denver's bench. Hyland scored 11 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, helping build a Denver lead that reached as high as 10 in the final frame.
But the Knicks, despite some shortcomings (namely another brutal, 4-of-18 shooting performance from RJ Barrett) were able to rise to the occasion to earn the long-sough victory, ironically using another fourth quarter showcase, not unlike the one on display on Tuesday, to their advantage. Further clutch antics from Jalen Brunson led the way, as the newcomer joined up with Randle to end the game on a 15-5 run over the final four minutes.
With the exception of two Cam Reddish free throws that started the trek, Brunson and/or Randle were involved in each and every one of those tallies, the final three coming on free throws that created the final margin. Denver had one more chance when they got the ball with 10 seconds remaining, but solid defense from Immanuel Quickley at the top of the key forced Jamal Murray (tied with Hyland for the Denver lead in scoring) into a desperation three that clanked harmlessly off the rim and into the arms of the euphoric Randle.
New York's reserves countered that of Denver's (which featured 13 points for Zeke Nnaji after he entered the game having scored just 16 all season) with solid efforts of their own: Derrick Rose put in 13 while Quickley had five rebounds and six assists, while Jericho Sims followed up his Tuesday double-double with six boards and three steals.
The Knicks' road trip continues on Friday when they battle the defending champion Golden State Warriors (10 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN). They'll do battle with the Nuggets again on March 18 at Madison Square Garden.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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