Knicks Demolish Nuggets 142-103 as Jamal Murray Exits with Sprained Ankle
The New York Knicks didn’t just beat the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. They embarrassed them.
A 142-103 final at Ball Arena. A 39-point road beatdown. OG Anunoby was putting on a clinic. And somewhere in the middle of it all, Jamal Murray — Denver’s newly minted All-Star — hobbling off the court with a sprained left ankle, helped by Jonas Valanciunas, his night done before halftime even arrived.
This was supposed to be a statement game for the Nuggets. Aaron Gordon was finally back after missing six weeks with a hamstring injury. Cam Johnson had returned from his own ankle issue. For the first time since November 12, Denver had its original starting five on the floor together. The crowd at Ball Arena was buzzing. The energy was real.
It lasted about eight minutes.
OG Anunoby Was Unstoppable
When OG Anunoby is locked in like this, he is genuinely one of the hardest players in the NBA to guard. He finished with 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, shooting 11-of-17 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. He attacked mismatches, made the right reads, and defended at an elite level all night long.
The play that changed the game’s momentum came late in the first half. Anunoby drove hard at Murray, made contact, and Murray — stepping back — landed awkwardly on Nikola Jokic’s foot. Murray grabbed his left ankle immediately, his face showing exactly how bad it hurt.
Knicks coach Mike Brown immediately challenged the charge call on the court. The officials overturned it, Murray was assessed a blocking foul, and Anunoby calmly sank both free throws to push the lead to 65-42 at halftime. It was a ruthless sequence. Classic Knicks.
Knicks’ Supporting Cast Was Just as Lethal
Anunoby might have led the charge, but this was a complete team performance.
Karl-Anthony Towns posted 19 points and 17 rebounds, controlling the paint at both ends and giving Jokic all he could handle defensively. Josh Hart did Josh Hart things — 18 points, relentless on the glass, never taking a possession off. Jalen Brunson was the engine, dishing out 15 assists and playing with the kind of control that makes New York’s offense nearly impossible to disrupt.
The Knicks shot 57.9% from the field and 47.1% from three. They had 44 assists on 55 made field goals. They outrebounded the Nuggets 56-44. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the starters were sitting. New York’s bench had already salted this one away.
Jokic Fought, But Had No Help
Nikola Jokic is never going to quit. He finished with 38 points on 14-of-21 shooting, doing everything in his power to keep Denver competitive. But without Murray — who had just dropped 45 and 28 points in his two previous outings this week — the Nuggets had no one else capable of generating consistent offense.
Denver went ice cold from three, missing 17 consecutive attempts at one point before Jokic finally broke the streak. They committed 15 turnovers. The Knicks turned those mistakes into easy buckets, pushing the lead to 105-80 after three quarters and never looked back.
The 39-point home loss tied the worst in Nuggets franchise history, dating back to a loss against Chicago in 1998.
What This Means for the Knicks
This performance wasn’t just a win. It was a declaration.
The Knicks are 41-23, sitting second in the Eastern Conference behind the Celtics. They are deep, disciplined, and dangerous on any given night. Brown has this group playing with an edge that feels different from previous seasons — there’s a confidence now, a belief that they can walk into any building and dominate.
The Knicks’ next challenge comes Sunday in Los Angeles against the Lakers. But after what happened Friday night in Denver, nobody around this team is thinking small.
New York came to Ball Arena and put 142 on the board.
