OG Anunoby scored a career-high 40 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points and 15 rebounds, and the visiting New York Knicks used a big first half to beat the Denver Nuggets 145-118 on Monday night.

Jalen Brunson had a career-high 23 points and 17 assists, and Mikal Bridges combined 14 points with six helpers for New York, which had a season-high in points and tied a franchise record with 45 assists. Miles McBride contributed 13 points, Josh Hart had 12 and Cameron Payne finished with 11.

Russell Westbrook scored 24 of his team-high 27 points in the fourth quarter, Nikola Jokic had 22 points, Jamal Murray finished with 20 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Christian Braun scored 14 points for Denver.

The Nuggets have lost two in a row at home.

The Knicks led by two late in the first quarter, but closed the period on a 14-4 run to lead 36-24, and they dominated the second quarter.

After Porter’s short jumper made it 39-29, Payne sandwiched a three-point play and a 3-pointer around a Towns dunk. Towns then drained a 26-footer to give New York a 50-29 lead.

Anunoby’s floater extended the lead to 23, but Denver went on a 14-5 run to get within 64-50 with 2:52 left in the half. The Knicks finished strong, taking a 76-53 lead into intermission after Brunson’s three-point play to end the second quarter.

Monday marked the second straight home game the Nuggets have allowed more than 70 points in the first half. They allowed 73 in a 123-120 loss to Dallas on Friday night.

New York increased its lead to 92-67 in the third quarter, and after Denver cut the lead to 20, Anunoby converted a three-point play and drained a 3-pointer to make it 101-77.

Porter gave the Nuggets some life when his three-point play cut the deficit to 19, but Anunoby scored eight points in less than two minutes and Towns hit a layup to help the Knicks build a 113-87 lead after three quarters.

New York led by as many as 30 in the fourth and cruised to its fifth win in six games.

–Field-level media