OG Anunoby Sets New Career High, Knicks Rout Nuggets

Anunoby set a career high in points with 40 while leading the way for the Knicks to route the high-scoring Denver Nuggets 145-118 Monday night. 

Coming off a loss in which the Knicks were outplayed by the lowly Utah Jazz, New York responded in a big way on both sides of the court. 

New York roared out to an early 76-53 lead at the half thanks to shooting over 60% from the field and over 50% from beyond the arc. Towns and Anunoby lead the way with a combined 41 points as well during that span. Those percentages persisted into the second half as well.  

More importantly, though, the Knicks held the normally efficient Nuggets to shooting just 43% from the field even with Nikola Jokic recording a 13-4-4 first-half stat sheet. The former league MVP finished just 9-20 shooting from the field and a total of 22 points for the entire game. 

For a team that had struggled so much on the defensive side this season to start, the fact that New York was able to increase their effort enough to quell a top-group like Denver for the entire contest. 

New York entered Monday night as the ninth worst team in the NBA in defensive rating. Against a strong shooting team like the Nuggets, though, that efficiency greatly improved. 

It helped that Towns put forth his best defensive effort of the season including 30 points on 9-12 shooting from the field. He added 15 rebounds and three steals Monday night as well. 

The night belonged to Anunoby, though. The former Toronto Raptor recorded the first 40-point game of his career and showed that his stardom is New York is as unquestioned as Towns or Brunson. 

The impressive win for New York on the road was the Knicks fifth win in six games and moved them to 10-7 on the season. They will be back on the court Wednesday night on the road against the Dallas Mavericks.