New York Knicks vs Denver Nuggets Recap, Highlights, Final Score, More

The New York Knicks road trip ended on a sour note as they were blown out by the Denver Nuggets.

The New York Knicks road trip ended with a thud Saturday night. The Denver Nuggets blew them out of the Pepsi Center as the Knicks road trip ended with a listless effort. The Knicks have now lost three consecutive games, dropping their record to 14-13 on the season. The Nuggets homestand has gotten off to a good start, as they have won the first two games at the Pepsi Center.

The Knicks dug themselves an early hole tonight and were unable to dig themselves out of it. They ended the first quarter trailing by 11 points and never tightened things up on defense.

The Nuggets got whatever they wanted offensively. They shot 55.6 percent from the field and 37 percent from the three-point line. The score could have been worse had the Nuggets made some free throws, as they made only 17-of-29 for 58.6 percent.

More from New York Knicks

• New York Knicks Fall to Eighth After NBA Draft Lottery
• New York Knicks: Players to Draft in Worst-Case Lottery Scenario
• New York Knicks: Three Players Who Should Thrive Under Tom Thibodeau
• Is Devin Booker to the New York Knicks Realistic?
• New York Knicks: Tom Thibodeau Officially Hired as Head Coach

This is a disappointing outcome for the Knicks as they actually outshot the Nuggets from the foul line. They made 36-of-39 from the charity stripe but were unable to keep up with Denver from the field. The Knicks made only 43.8 percent of their shots overall and 34.8 percent from the three-point line.

The defensive end of the court is where the Knicks had a letdown, as this was a disappointing end to their road trip. After winning the first two games against the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers, the Knicks lost to the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and tonight to the Nuggets.

New York could really use Derrick Rose back in the lineup, as they are no 1-3 when he sits out. The Knicks just do not have enough depth at point guard to make up for his absence, and their rotation is thrown out of whack as a result.

Three Stars

PF Kenneth Faried, Nuggets — Faried always seems to perform well against the Knicks and Saturday was no different. Faried came off the bench and dominated in his 29 minutes. He went 10-of-11 from the field en route to 25 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds with two assists and three blocks. The Knicks just didn’t have an answer for the energetic Faried.

PG Emmanuel Mudiay, Nuggets — It was the same story tonight as it was against the Suns. Without Rose in the lineup, a strong, athletic point guard was able to take advantage of playing against Brandon Jennings and Ron Baker. Tonight it was Mudiay taking advantage. Mudiay scored 22 points, going 10-of-15 from the field, with seven rebounds, five assists, and one steal with only one turnover. Mudiay is extremely inconsistent from the field normally but tonight he had his way with the Knicks.

SF Carmelo Anthony, Knicks — Anthony’s losing streak in Denver since being traded continued but he did his best to get the Knicks a win. He scored a game-high 29 points, going 10-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-2 from deep and 7-of-8 from the foul line. He added four rebounds, three assists, and one steal on the night.

Highlights

Next: New York Knicks First Quarter Player Grades

Next game

The Knicks return home to Madison Square Garden for a matchup with the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. The Nuggets remain at home for the final game of their homestand Monday against the Dallas Mavericks.