New York, N.Y. — The building was already loud an hour before tipoff, but by the time the ball went up, it felt alive. Not restless. Not anxious. Alive. Every seat filled, every aisle buzzing, every chant echoing off the ceiling as if the Garden itself understood what kind of night this might become.
And when it finally ended, after two overtimes, aching legs, empty voices, and one last roar that shook the floor, the New York Knicks walked off their home court with a 134–127 victory over the Denver Nuggets, a win that felt heavier than one game in the standings.
This was not just another stop on the schedule. This was a test of stamina, composure, and identity. The Knicks entered winners of seven straight, riding confidence and momentum. Denver arrived frustrated but dangerous, a team that has learned how to survive adversity and still look like a contender. What followed was a night where every run mattered, every possession carried weight, and the crowd never once considered sitting down.
The Knicks struck first. Jalen Brunson buried a three on the opening possession, and the Garden exploded as if someone had flipped a switch. The ball moved crisply, shots fell early, and New York jumped ahead with purpose. But Denver didn’t panic. Instead, Jamal Murray took control of the first quarter and bent the game to his will. He attacked off the dribble, rose confidently from midrange, and punished defensive mistakes. By the end of the quarter, Murray had already piled up 18 points, and Denver had turned an early Knicks surge into a narrow lead.
The second quarter became a tug of war. Every time one team seemed to grab momentum, the other yanked it right back. Mitchell Robinson dominated the glass, keeping possessions alive and altering shots in the paint. Landry Shamet provided timely shooting off the bench, while Denver countered with depth, getting key contributions from Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown. When the Nuggets stretched the lead to seven late in the half, it felt like a potential turning point.
Instead, it became a spark.
After spending much of the second quarter in the locker room, Karl-Anthony Towns returned and immediately shifted the energy in the building. He knocked down a three, ran the floor in transition, and attacked defenders with force. A pair of Knicks stops led to quick scores, and suddenly the Garden was roaring again. New York closed the half on a 7–0 run, heading into the break with a 55–53 lead and renewed belief.
The third quarter was Brunson’s stage. With the game tightening, he slowed the tempo, picked his spots, and delivered bucket after bucket. Step-back threes brought the crowd to its feet, and MVP chants poured down from the upper bowl. Denver stayed close behind balanced scoring and relentless effort on the boards, but New York won the quarter 33–29 and entered the fourth with its largest cushion of the night.
Then came the grind.
The fourth quarter stripped the game down to toughness. Denver chipped away possession by possession, leaning on physical defense and timely shot-making. Every Knicks miss drew a collective groan. Every defensive stop sent a wave of noise across the arena. New York answered with hustle plays, offensive rebounds, and just enough scoring to keep the Nuggets at bay. But Denver never went away.
With under a minute left in regulation, the Knicks clung to a two-point lead and searched for the finishing blow. They couldn’t find it. Murray did. With 20 seconds remaining, he drilled a massive jumper to tie the game at 108, silencing the building for just a moment. Nikola Jokic nearly stole it at the buzzer, but his three-point attempt rolled out, sending the game to overtime.
The first overtime felt like survival basketball. Legs were heavy, shots came up short, and every rebound turned into a wrestling match. Neither team could land a decisive punch, and when the horn sounded again with the score tied at 119, no one inside the Garden was ready to leave.
The second overtime belonged to the Knicks’ resolve.
Brunson attacked relentlessly, absorbing contact and delivering in the biggest moments. Towns finished strong around the rim, muscling through traffic. Mikal Bridges, quiet for much of the night, stepped up with a thunderous three that lifted the building to another level. Defensively, New York battled Jokic on every touch, forcing difficult looks and fighting for rebounds as if the season depended on it.
Denver kept swinging. Jokic battled through contact. Murray hunted shots late. But New York had answers. Free throws fell. Defensive possessions stacked up. And when the final seconds ticked away, the Knicks stood on top, 134–127, after one of the most demanding games they will play all season.
Brunson finished with 42 points and nine assists, the clear engine of the night. Towns added 24 points and 12 rebounds, delivering when the Knicks needed him most. New York shot 50 percent from the field and survived Denver’s size, rebounding edge, and star power with effort and execution.
The bigger picture is impossible to ignore. This was not just a win. This was proof of growth. The Knicks did not crumble when the game stretched beyond regulation. They did not shrink when stars answered their runs. They stayed composed, trusted each other, and played with a confidence that suggests this team understands what it takes to win ugly, exhausting, high-pressure games.
For Denver, the loss showed why they remain a threat anywhere. Murray was electric. Jokic posted another monster line. They pushed one of the league’s hottest teams to the absolute edge in one of the toughest buildings in basketball.
For New York, this night felt different. This felt like a moment. A night where the Garden mattered. A night where 48 minutes were not enough. A night where the Knicks proved that when the game refuses to end, when legs burn and voices fade, they still have more to give.
And long after the crowd finally filed out into the New York night, the echo of that roar lingered, a reminder that some regular-season games don’t just count in the standings. They leave a mark.
