Og Anunoby Leads Knicks to 142-103 Rout as Murray Leaves with Sprained Ankle
og anunoby scored a team-high 34 points as the New York Knicks routed the Denver Nuggets 142-103, a contest that also featured Denver losing All-Star guard Jamal Murray to a sprained ankle.
What Happens When Og Anunoby Goes for 34?
Anunoby’s scoring surge was the defining storyline of a one-sided affair. The Knicks built a commanding lead that allowed starters to sit out the fourth quarter, and multiple contributors filled the stat sheet for New York.
- Final score: Knicks 142, Nuggets 103.
- og anunoby: 34 points (team-high).
- Knicks playmakers: Jalen Brunson recorded 15 assists; Josh Hart added 18 points.
- Denver scoring highlights: Nikola Jokic finished with 38 points.
- Karl-Anthony Towns: boxscore entries differ across accounts, listed as 17 points and 12 rebounds in one account and 19 points and 17 rebounds in another.
What Happens When Jamal Murray Leaves with a Sprained Ankle?
The Nuggets lost Murray before halftime after he sustained a left-ankle injury with 1: 05 remaining in the first half. He had 12 points at the time he was hurt. The play involved contact with a driving Anunoby; Murray stepped back on Nikola Jokic’s right foot, tumbled to the floor while grabbing his left ankle, and was helped to the locker room by teammate Jonas Valanciunas. He did not return and will undergo tests.
Additional game context from the night underscores the scale of Denver’s setback: Denver missed 17 consecutive 3-pointers before Jokic hit one, and the 39-point home loss equaled the franchise’s largest margin set against Chicago in 1998. Aaron Gordon, playing for the first time since Jan. 23, produced one rim-rattling dunk after an errant 3-pointer but finished 1 for 7 in 21 minutes. Cam Johnson returned to action as the Nuggets’ original starting lineup was on the floor for the first time since Nov. 12.
Broader notes from the game: Murray had produced 45- and 28-point performances earlier in the week and was an All-Star this season for the first time in his nine-year career. The Knicks opened a five-game road trip with the win; their next game is at the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday (ET). The Nuggets travel to Oklahoma City on Monday night (ET).
There is clear separation between how the two teams closed the evening: New York was able to rest starters in the fourth quarter after building a dominant margin, while Denver absorbed both a lopsided scoreboard defeat and the immediate uncertainty around Murray’s injury. Fans and team staffs will be watching the results of the forthcoming tests closely as they plan next steps, and the game will be remembered for og anunoby’s 34-point performance and the moment Murray exited with a sprained ankle.
