The New York Knicks and Kristaps Porzingis held off the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden on Monday night to earn the victory.
- New York Knicks (3-3)
- Denver Nuggets (3-4)
- NBA, Eastern Conference, Final, Box Score
- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
The New York Knicks started out hot and took a commanding 22 point lead at halftime. The key contributor was budding superstar Kristaps Porzingis as the Nuggets had no answer for him on defense.
Jarrett Jack‘s presence in the starting lineup has brought stability to this Knicks team. Jack had 10 assists with only one turnover tonight. The defense looked great as well in the first half after the Nuggets only managed to score 43 points.
The Nuggets were not out of this game by any stretch. The Knicks came out of halftime flat and were outscored 38-to-19 in the third period. Nikola Jokic led the way for Denver with 28 points. Like Porzingis, Jokic has the ability to stretch the floor. He was 6-for-10 from 3-point land.
The Knicks looked like a young team that didn’t have the ability to put the game away. They allowed the Nuggets to dictate the pace and take them out of their rhythm. The Knicks are a young team coming off a big win and on a back to back night. It wasn’t surprising to see the comeback, but it was frustrating.
A positive to take away from this terrible quarter is that the Knicks were able to regroup in the 4th quarter and hold on to their 3rd straight win. Tim Hardaway, Jr. had a bad night after his best game of the season on Sunday. He made some big plays late, but was only 3-for-10 from three.
It was encouraging to see Doug McDermott and Kyle O’Quinn bring some energy on the second unit. McDermott was aggressive in looking for his shot scoring 11 points. Kyle O’Quinn was great on the defensive end. He recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
This is the Knicks team that fans want to see. This team is playing hard and starting to come together nicely. Jeff Hornacek seems to be more comfortable with his lineups. Most importantly, Kristaps Porzingis has taken the next step in a big way. Knicks fans could get used to MVP chants in the Garden.