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NYK 96, DEN 101: Slow Start Dooms Knicks Despite Porzingis' Double-Double

How it Happened

It was a lackluster start to Sunday's matinee at Madison Square Garden, but Derek Fisher's club showed signs of life with an 11-3 run to close the first half. Trailing by 11, the Knicks came out of halftime with renewed energy, reeling off a 16-3 run to erase the deficit and take a 79-77 lead into the final period.

From there, the two teams battled back and forth, but Denver's balance proved too much to overcome, as six Nuggets scored in double figures to hand New York its ninth loss in the last 10 games.

Knick of the Night

Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 21 points apiece, but Porzingis' contributions during the Knicks' second-half rally earned him the honor. The rookie went for 13 points and seven of his game-high 13 rebounds in the third quarter, most of which came as Anthony watched from the bench with four fouls. It was his 18th double-double of the season.

News and Notes

Jose Calderon was one of the few effective Knicks in the early going, scoring all 11 of his points in the first half...Anthony added seven assists and six rebounds to his point total...Arron Afflalo finished with 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting...Lance Thomas (concussion symptoms) did not dress for the second straight game. He'll be eligible to come back as soon as Tuesday, but Fisher said before the game that the team will let NBA concussion protocol dicate the timetable for his return.

Next Up

Fisher's club has one day to prepare for John Wall and the Wizards, who come to Madison Square Garden for an 8 p.m. tipoff on Tuesday. Washington has lost six of its last eight games.