Knicks Face Uphill Battle vs Champion Nuggets in Denver

The New York Knicks have had an impressive season full of resilience and surprising wins against top teams. But tonight they face arguably their biggest test yet, as they head to Denver to take on the defending champion Nuggets.

While the Knicks did blow out this same Nuggets team at Madison Square Garden a couple months ago, a lot has changed since then. For one, that Nuggets squad was clearly not at full strength, playing at the end of a long road trip. The Nuggets have been a different beast at home this year with a 27-6 record, second best in the NBA.

New York will also be shorthanded tonight, missing key wing defender OG Anunoby who was instrumental in disrupting Denver’s explosive offense in the first meeting. Without Anunoby joining the other injured Knicks stars Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, it will likely take career nights from the New York role players to pull off the upset.

Still, the Nuggets have at times played down to competition, allowing teams to hang around by coming out flat. If stars like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are disinterested early, the feisty Knicks could make it an unexpectedly close game.

Ultimately though, the smart money is on the defending champs taking care of business at home against a depleted opponent. Denver is fighting for the #1 seed and home court advantage, while New York is simply playing out the string and staying healthy for the playoffs. Look for the Nuggets to turn it on in the second half and put away the Knicks.

It’s been a magical season for the resilient New York squad that has overcome injuries and tough scheduling to stay in the hunt. But winning in Denver at this stage of the season with a short roster may be too tall a task, even for these Knicks. The defending champs should defend their home court and remind everyone why they’re wearing the crown.