The Nuggets take the court having lost two straight. Denver lost in Chicago Monday night despite the predictable brilliance of Nikola Jokic (33-12-14). The Knicks have won four in a row. They have scored 143 points in each of their last two games. Monday, they waxed the Grizzlies 143-106.

Coming in as underdogs, the Nuggets are a good bet here, considering they’re No. 7 in overall net rating, whereas the Knicks are No. 5. Denver is an excellent second-half team, showcasing the league’s second-best net rating, 8.8, after halftime, while having a net rating of just -0.6 in the first half.

New York rolls into this East-versus-West war with momentum, having won four straight games. Those winning ways have a lot to do with the play of star guard Jalen Brunson, who takes the spotlight in my Nuggets vs. Knicks predictions.

The best basketball player on the planet looked average, and the Knicks took advantage. Besieged by early foul trouble and flustered late by the Knicks’ aggressiveness, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic,

Jalen Brunson had 30 points and 15 assists, OG Anunoby scored 23 points and the New York Knicks beat the Denver Nuggets 122-112 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight victory.