Jalen Brunson had 42 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the New York Knicks outlasted the Denver Nuggets 134-127 in two overtimes for their eighth straight victory<\/p>\n
NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson had 42 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the New York Knicks outlasted the Denver Nuggets 134-127 in two overtimes Wednesday night for their eighth straight victory.<\/p>\n
Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 12 rebounds while playing with a bandage over his right eye after he was bloodied in a head-to-head collision in the first quarter. He fouled out in the first overtime, but Brunson took over with 10 points in the second extra period.<\/p>\n
Jamal Murray scored 39 points for the Nuggets, while Nikoka Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in his first triple-double since returning from a knee injury last week. Denver lost its third straight, having fallen to conference leaders Oklahoma City and Detroit in his previous two games.<\/p>\n
The Knicks had won by an average of 24.7 points during their winning streak before Wednesday’s thriller in which neither team led by double digits. OG Anunoby scored 20 points. <\/p>\n
The Nuggets lost starting forwards Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones to injuries during the game, with Watson limping off in the fourth quarter with an apparent right leg injury, <\/p>\n
The Knicks appeared to have it won in the first overtime when Murray was short on a 3-point attempt in the last second. But officials whistled Mikal Bridges for a loose-ball foul against Christian Braun that review showed came before the clock expired. Braun hit the two free throws with 0.3 seconds left to tie it at 119.<\/p>\n
Brunson then scored the first six points of the second OT.<\/p>\n
Towns was driving to the basket in the first quarter when he banged heads with Jones, opening a cut over his right eye. After getting treated and bandaged, he made the free throws in his blood-stained white jersey before going directly to the locker room. <\/p>\n
Nuggets: Visit Chicago on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Knicks: Visit Detroit on Friday.<\/p>\n
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