New York Knicks win back-to-back games against the Wizards and Nuggets: That makes eight

The New York Knicks won games on back-to-back nights, beating the Washington Wizards 132-101, then getting past the Denver Nuggets 134-127 in double overtime. The Knicks showed dominance in Washington, then showed resilience at the Garden to outlast Denver.

The Wizards' game was a start-to-finish blowout. The beauty of the victory was that every player made positive contributions, and the starters got to rest early.

The real show came the next night against Denver. The Knicks engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Jamal Murray and Jalen Brunson in a scoring duel while Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns battled from the inside-out.

Neither team could sustain a run, though New York maintained an edge late in each crunch time. The Knicks held leads during the final possessions of the fourth quarter and overtime, but Denver kept coming back to tie. Jalen Brunson had enough in the second overtime, taking over and sealing the victory.

While the rest of the league makes trades and tinkers with their rosters, the Knicks are on an eight-game win streak with the players that have been here all along. Let’s review the contributions of the key players.

Vs. WAS: 21 PTS (7/16 FG, 1/6 3PT, 6/7 FT), 4 AST, 1 REB, 2 STL in 31 mins

Vs. DEN: 42 PTS (13/27 FG, 5/12 3PT, 9/11 FT), 9 AST, 8 REB, 2 STL, 5 TO in 47 mins

With most players rolling on offense, Jalen Brunson settled into picking his spots. Brunson missed his three-pointers, but virtually every shot he took was a quality look. He passed otherwise.

The Captain’s supporting cast looked more tired against Denver, so he took matters into his own hands. Brunson exploded whenever the rest of the offense cooled off, finishing the game by outscoring the entire Nuggets side in the final overtime.

Vs. WAS: 19 PTS (7/17 FG, 1/4 3PT, 4/6 FT), 3 AST, 15 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 26 mins

Vs. DEN: 24 PTS (9/13 FG, 2/6 3PT, 4/4 FT), 1 AST, 12 REB, 1 TO in 31 mins

I’d describe Karl-Anthony Towns’ performance in both games with one word: “tough!” He battled on boards and overpowered Alex Sarr in Washington. Then he made huge buckets throughout his minutes against Denver, despite needing stitches after a clash of heads early on.

Foul trouble was KAT’s only issue against Denver. He fouled out defending Jokic.

Vs. WAS: 19 PTS (6/11 FG, 3/6 3PT, 4/5 FT), 2 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 27 mins

Vs. DEN: 20 PTS (7/17 FG, 4/9 3PT, 2/2 FT), 4 AST, 8 REB in 48 mins

The OG Anunoby hot streak continued in Washington. He knocked down jumpers and sprinkled in his typical rim-running dunks.

Anunoby didn’t shoot as well against Denver, but his impact didn’t fade. He still made his three-pointers and contributed extra rebounds with impressive defense to boot.

Vs. DEN: 4 PTS (1/3 FG, 1/3 3PT, 1/2 FT), 7 AST, 7 REB in 22 mins

Vs. DEN: DNP

With everyone else on fire in Washington, Josh Hart focused on contributions everywhere else. He only shot the ball when left wide open; in other cases, he kept the ball moving and battled for rebounds. Unfortunately, he hurt his ankle and didn’t return or play against Denver.

Vs. WAS: 14 PTS (5/8 FG, 2/4 3PT, 1/2 FT), 1 AST in 21 mins

Vs. DEN: 16 PTS (6/15 FG, 4/10 3PT), 3 AST, 2 REB, 1 TO in 36 mins

Landry Shamet hit big shot after big shot in these two games. He didn’t just knock down three-pointers, adding midrange jumpers off the dribble.

Shamet’s three-pointers against Denver felt particularly important. They gave the second unit momentum and cut off potential Nuggets runs.

The Knicks needed Shamet to play like a sixth man of the year, and he stepped up massively.

Vs. WAS: 23 PTS (8/10 FG, 3/4 3PT, 4/5 FT), 5 AST, 4 REB, 2 BLK, 1 TO in 26 mins

Vs. DEN: 5 PTS (2/8 FG, 1/6 3PT), 4 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK in 49 mins

Mikal Bridges played brilliantly against the Wizards. He couldn’t miss a shot, his defense was on point, and he contributed as a passer. This was peak Bridges.

Unfortunately, his game against Denver was brutal. His legs looked tired on most shot attempts, and he committed an awful loose-ball foul that gifted Denver the tie to force double-OT. He finally got a three to fall in crunch time of the second overtime, at least.

That was exhausting to watch. I can only imagine how the players feel. My main takeaway from these wins is still that this team, as constructed, is good enough to contend.

KAT is battling with more heart than I've seen since last year’s playoffs. Bridges didn’t let a shooting slump stop him from coming up clutch against Denver. Brunson and OG are leading the way, and Mitch and Shamet have been tremendous off the bench.

Don’t let other teams’ moves distract you from the fact that the Knicks have been the best team in basketball for eight consecutive games without a roster change. The players who committed to this team from the outset have earned their props!

See you next time, Knicks’ fam!