That’s the New York Knicks the basketball world has been waiting to see. The Knicks (10-7) have earned impressive victories on the year. However, their 145-118 thrashing of the Denver Nuggets on Monday night was their coming out party as a true championship-caliber unit. Nuggets coach Mike Malone was well aware of what he was bearing witness to.
Knicks HC Tom Thibodeau gets major praise from Nuggets HC Mike Malone after game
Per New York Basketball, after the game, Malone could do nothing but admit just how great New York’s offense looked and credited Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau for it in the process:
“I hope for all the Tom Thibodeau haters out there who say he doesn’t coach offense just to really appreciate their team, because offensively they’re elite,” Malone stated to the media.
Nuggets’ Jamal Murray & Nikola Jokic say Knicks punched them in face
Malone was not the only one from the losing side to give it up to the Knicks. Nuggets star point guard Jamal Murray called the defeat a whopping that took a hit at their pride, as New York Basketball also shared:
“We got punched in the face and there was no response,” Murray lamented.
“Take some pride in being down by 30 while the other team is chanting Knicks in your home building. So, I think it’s simple as that. Don’t have to overthink it, don’t have to over process it. They whooped our a** and we deserved it.”
Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic also said, “It’s always good to get punched in the face just to wake up.” That’s exactly what the Knicks did to the Nuggets, and their ball club has a world of momentum to carry over from the victory.
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Knicks put up a masterpiece in Denver
The Knicks shot 61 percent from the field,53 percent from the three-point line and 88 percent from the foul line. They out-assisted the Nuggets 45-23 and won the rebounding battle by 10 boards.
There were seven Knicks who scored in double figures, led by OG Anunoby’s career-high 40 points, 30 from Karl-Anthony Towns and 23 from Brunson. The Knicks bench rose to the occasion and scored 26 points. Miles McBride (13 points) and Cam Payne (11 points) came ready to play.
It was a true masterclass for New York. The Eastern Conference’s No. 4 seed will look to ride this wave into their next contest against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday and close the one-game gap between them and the No. 3-seeded Orlando Magic (12-7) in the East.
