OG Anunoby led the New York Knicks with 34 points to power a 142-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets Friday at Ball Arena.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 points and 17 rebounds while Josh Hart contributed 18 as New York’s starters rested in the fourth quarter.
Denver suffered a major setback when Jamal Murray left with a sprained ankle before halftime after stepping on Nikola Jokic’s foot. The All-Star had 12 points at the time and did not return.
Jokic finished with 38 points but could not prevent the Nuggets from tying their worst home loss since 1998 with a 39-point deficit.
Aaron Gordon returned from a hamstring injury and Cam Johnson came back from a sprained ankle, giving Denver its original starting lineup for the first time since November 12. Gordon scored only three points on 1-of-7 shooting in 21 minutes.
New York pulled away after a 13-4 early Denver run, capitalizing on the Nuggets’ 17 consecutive missed three-pointers that extended the lead to 105-80 after three quarters.
Anunoby scored efficiently, shooting 11-of-17 with six three-pointers and perfect free-throw shooting. Towns controlled the boards with 17 rebounds, and Hart added 18 points, giving the Knicks a dominant performance on both ends of the floor.
The Knicks (41-23) started a five-game road trip with the blowout, while Denver (39-25) will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.
New York will face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
