Danilo Gallinari and the New York Knicks (25–45) upset Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets (47–23) at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night with a 109–104 win.
Gallinari scored 28 points going head to head with Anthony, with back to back 3 pointers that set off an 11-0 run at the end of the 3rd quarter. All-Star David Lee had another double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds, his 46th of the season.
The win is a silver lining for the Knicks who are going through another losing season and a tumultuous time for the franchise.
“We’re just trying to play these last games out with pride and give our fans something to cheer for,” Lee told NBATV following the game.
Lee went on to applaud Gallinari’s effort against Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony finished the night with 36 points and veteran Chauncey Billups followed up with 25 points.
The Knicks got off to an ice cold start, going 0–7 until Bill Walker scored 3:30 minutes into the first quarter, allowing the Nuggets to build a quick lead while shooting 5–5.
However the penetration and shooting of Tim McGrady pulled the team to within one point 27–26 at the end of the first quarter building their momentum and setting the stage for the rest of the game.
The Knicks continued that momentum into the second quarter with Al Harrington putting on a show with 14 points.
Gallinari lit it up for the Knicks in the third quarter with 17 points to give the team a 83–74 lead.
The Knicks pulled their lead up to as much as nine points before foul trouble in the second half of the quarter put the Nugget on the line several times. Anthony was unable to hit his field goals despite scoring 30 points prior to the quarter.
Lee got a lucky break with 3:30 left to go in the game when he committed what looked to be a clear offensive charge against Denver’s J.R. Smith that would have sent him out of the game.
The referees reversed the call, saying Smith was inside the restricted zone in the paint when he was struck by Lee.
Smith had his revenge though, hitting two crucial 3-pointers that pulled the Nuggs to within one point with just over a minute to go.
Tony Douglas gave the Knicks a three point lead with a jumper with 27 seconds to go, and Gallinari sealed the win hitting two foul shots.
The Nuggets are neck-and-neck with Dallas for the No. 2 spot in the Western Confernce and have a tough four games on the road ahead of them. They play Boston on Wednesday night followed by Toronto, Orlando, and Dallas.
