NEW YORK — The Nuggets have insisted the meter is pointed up.
Their 101-96 win over the Knicks on Sunday afternoon gave real evidence to back those claims up.
Real victories are slowly replacing moral victories. The Nuggets are 9-8 in their last 17 games, and there are many reasons why.
On Sunday, it had a lot to do with the man drafted to lead the revolution: point guard Emmanuel Mudiay.
He has been solid in many late-game situations already this season, but he wove his best late fourth quarter of the season on the NBA’s biggest stage: Madison Square Garden.
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“It’s definitely a good experience,” Mudiay said. “Playing in New York is something that I always liked to do, even in AAU, Elite 24 — it’s always fun playing here. It’s the Mecca of basketball.”
From the 6:20 mark of the fourth to the end of the game, the rookie basically laid waste to the Knicks’ defense, which to that point in the second half had been fairly solid.
Mudiay entered the game and immediately hit a jump shot.
Then a step-back 3-pointer.
Two shots later, Mudiay pierced the defense for a reverse layup.
Two minutes later, Mudiay picked up the degree of difficulty on another reverse layup.
Mudiay scored nine of the Nuggets’ 11 points in roughly 3½ minutes after he re-entered the game. The Nuggets, in that time, went from two points down to seven points up.
“I just feel like I had to take control of the game, being the point guard,” Mudiay said. “I knew the ball was going to be in my hand and I knew they were switching. I just had to play downhill basketball, be as aggressive as I can and try to make plays.”
The Knicks tried to rally late, but Carmelo Anthony missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 11.8 seconds to go. The Nuggets rebounded, and Will Barton was fouled with 7.8 seconds. He made both, and the Nuggets held on for a victory, snapping a two-game losing streak at the Garden.
Mudiay finished with 15 points, nine assists and not one turnover. He shot 2-of-12 going into the fourth quarter but made 4-of-6 shots in the final period to help the Nuggets seal the deal.
“I thought Emmanuel Mudiay was terrific, made some huge plays down the stretch,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Nine assists, zero turnovers for a 19-year old rookie point guard is outstanding.”
The Nuggets were led by Will Barton’s 19 points and 11 rebounds. Danilo Gallinari also had 19 points.
Except for the third quarter, in which they were outscored 30-17, the Nuggets rolled most of the day.
Knicks rookie star Kristaps Porzingis found points difficult to come by until the third. He went off there, though, making 6-of-9 shots in the quarter and scoring 13 points. Porzingis gave the Knicks their first lead of the game at 4:37 in third. Both he and former Nugget Arron Afflalo were huge in the third, helping the Knicks erase an 11-point halftime lead to take a two-point lead going into the fourth. Porzingis finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
But the Nuggets made the plays in the fourth to come out with a much-needed win.
“We are getting better and better every game,” Gallinari said. “Especially in late-game situations, we’re getting better.”
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or @dempseypost
DENVER AT BROOKLYN 5:30 p.m. Monday, ALT; 950 AM
Spotlight on Brook Lopez:
The Nuggets will go from one Lopez brother (Robin, with the Knicks, on Sunday) to the other, Brook, who anchors the middle for the Nets. Brook Lopez has been solid as one of the few traditional centers left in the NBA, with averages of 20.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season. He is shooting 50 percent from the field.
Christopher Dempsey, The Denver Post
