The New York Knicks cruised past the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday and now turn their attention to a matchup with Denver on Wednesday night at the Garden. Memphis came into Monday night’s game on a six-game winning streak and were in great shape with 2:10 left in the first half down just three points and Jalen Brunson picking up his fourth personal foul.
From that moment on, the Knicks’ offense took over the game. After finishing the first half with 7-2 runs, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns led the charge. In the second half, New York outscored Memphis 83-54 to win 143-106 in front of a sold-out crowd. The win marked the second consecutive game in which New York scored more than 140 points in regulation, the first time in over 45 years.
Mikal Bridges finished his night with 28 points, six assists, and five boards while locking down Ja Morant on defense. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds on the night.
When asked about Bridges and his night defending Ja Morant, Jalen Brunson had a lot of praise for his teammate, “Mikal–he’s been playing great, and obviously, we don’t want to leave a player out on an island, especially a player like that. But the way he was able to play tonight–he was great.”
Date with Denver
The Nuggets come into MSG with a 28-18 record but have certainly been struggling, losing back-to-back games against Chicago and Minnesota. Denver’s main issue in those two games has been its defense, or lack thereof, allowing 262 points. With New York coming off back-to-back high-scoring games, this is the perfect time for this Knicks team to face the Nuggets.
The Knicks were able to hold down Ja Morant, but Nikola Jokic will be a huge challenge to keep in check. The Joker is coming off another triple-double against Chicago, scoring 33 points with 12 rebounds and 14 assists.
When the two teams met in late November, the Knicks cruised to a 145-118 win, led by OG Anunoby’s 40-point night and KAT’s double-double of 30 points and 15 boards. Jokic was held to just 22 points, going 9-20 from the field, while Russell Westbrook led Denver with 27 points off the bench.
Tip-off is slated for 7:30 on ESPN Wednesday night as the Knicks look to extend their winning streak to five games.
