Defeating the Knicks, the Nuggets Move Into a Tie With the Warriors
Nikola Jokic had 21 points and 17 rebounds, Jamal Murray scored 18 points, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Knicks, 111-93, on Friday night at Madison Square Garden for their sixth straight victory.
Gary Harris chipped in 14 points for Denver, which moved into a tie with the defending champion Golden State Warriors for first place in the Western Conference with 11 games remaining for each team.
Will Barton scored 10 of his 12 in the first quarter as the Nuggets jumped out to a 37-18 lead.
Emmanuel Mudiay, a former Nuggets first-round draft pick, scored 21 points, and the rookie Mitchell Robinson added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who have lost their last three games and 11 of 12.
Mario Hezonja’s basket cut the lead to 67-59 with 5 minutes 52 seconds left in the third quarter, but that was the closest the Knicks would get the rest of the night. Denver then broke away with a 15-3 spurt highlighted by seven points from Jokic and a layup from Monte Morris before time expired to extend the lead 82-62 heading into the fourth quarter.
Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina played for the first time since Jan. 27 after missing 24 games because of a sore groin. He scored five points and had five assists in 25 minutes off the bench.
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