The New York Knicks played their most complete game on Monday night, defeating the Denver Nuggets in a blowout 145-118.
The Knicks were led by forward OG Anunoby, who scored a career-high 40 points in a breakout game. Anunoby wasn’t the only Knick with the knack, as six other Knicks players ended up scoring in double-digits. The team is now 5-1 in their last 6 games with the win against Denver. Here are a few takeaways from the win:
Sharing is caring (and it gets wins)
In the win against Denver, the Knicks had a season-high 45 assists, matching the single-game team record initially set against the Cleveland Cavaliers back on Nov. 24, 1979. The ball movement was spectacular, led by point guard Jalen Brunson, who had a career-high in assists with 17. Brunson has been assuming more of a playmaker role this season, and last night’s performance was a clear example of this. T
he 28-year-old has been accustomed to being a ball-dominant guard, usually taking most of the shots on the team prior to this season. However, Brunson’s playmaking has improved significantly due to the additions of center Karl-Anthony Towns and guard Mikal Bridges.
This season, he is averaging 7.9 assists per game, including five games with 10 assists or more. The team is averaging more assists overall, as well. The Knicks are obtaining nearly 29 assists per game compared to 24.4 last season. The team already has 9 games where they have accumulated 30 assists or more. Their record in those 9 games is 8-1, alluding to how impactful ball movement has been for the Knicks.
OG Anunoby’s offensive masterclass
Forward OG Anunoby had a scoring showdown, putting up 40 points, including five three-pointers.
This is Anunoby’s second consecutive game in which he has led all Knicks players in scoring after a previous performance of 27 points against the Utah Jazz. The Nuggets had difficulty containing Anunoby, who had a strong third quarter, scoring 18 of his 40 points in that time period.
Anunoby scored in various ways during his scoring clinic, between shots on the perimeter, off the dribble, and in transition. A notable number of his points came in transition for the Knicks, who acquired a total of 24 fast-break points. It’s noticeable that the 27-year-old is on track for an offensive leap this season. Anunoby is now averaging 19.1 points per game, which is a career-high. His efficiency has been the most impressive part, evident in the win against the Nuggets. Last night, Anunoby shot 70% from the field and 71% behind the three-point line. Anunoby has been quite consistent so far, and fans are watching the forward breakout offensively more and more as the season progresses.
Abundant amount of scoring from everyone
The Knicks put up 145 points in their win against Denver, which is the most points they’ve put up this season. It’s quite close to their franchise-high record of 152 points all the way back in 1959 against the Syracuse Nationals.
The offense was flowing for New York, which had previously struggled shooting in a loss against the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Seven players scored in double-figures for the Knicks, including Towns, who put up yet another double-double with 30 points and 15 rebounds. The bench was significant in scoring as well, adding a total of 25 points.
Guard Miles McBride led the bench in points with 13 in his first game back after missing 5 straight with patella femoral syndrome. It has been a frequent trend this season for all starters to have scored in double-digits, as the team has been heavily reliant on moving the ball and getting each other involved.
