Crawford’s three lifts Knicks over Nuggets

Crawford also had seven assists and six rebounds while Quentin Richardson finished with 18 points and nine boards for the Knicks, who snapped a three- game skid.

Carmelo Anthony netted a game-high 37 points and dished out eight assists for Denver, which has yet to register a win this season in three tries. Earl Smith added 16 points and Andre Miller had 13 points and eight assists.

The Knicks broke off a 13-3 run midway through the final quarter to climb out of a double-digit hole and move within two.

Crawford scored eight straight points in that stretch — including a three- ball that cut the deficit to four — and Nate Robinson capped it with a layup that made it 94-92.

New York continued to plug away, and finally pulled even on Stephon Marbury’s three from the wing with 44 ticks on the clock.

The Knicks got the ball back with a chance to move in front, but Crawford turned the ball over to Eduardo Najera. Crawford stole the ball right back, though, raced to the three-point line and then sank the shot.

"When you play hard sometimes you get lucky," said Knicks head coach Isiah Thomas. "We just kept grinding it out and made some plays at the end."

Anthony was fouled on the other end, made the first one and then missed the second, leaving a rebound opportunity for Joe Smith. Smith flew along the baseline and got off a putback try, but it bounced off the rim harmlessly as the horn sounded.

"It wasn’t a bad game, just a tough loss," said Nuggets head coach George Karl.

The Nuggets led by just a pair after one quarter, but finished off the half with an 11-4 burst to assume a 57-49 advantage at intermission. Marcus Camby got the surge started with a jumper, and Earl Boykins capped the half with a three-pointer to make it an eight-point game.

An Anthony free throw late in the third gave the Nuggets a 10-point edge with a quarter to play, and Denver kept New York at arm’s length in the early stages of the fourth.

Game Notes

Denver’s three losses are by a combined six points...Knicks guard Steve Francis missed the contest with an ankle injury...The Nuggets hit the road for a four-game swing. They will visit Philadelphia, Charlotte, Miami and Orlando on the upcoming trip...The Knicks and Nuggets will meet on December 16th at Madison Square Garden for the second and final contest of the campaign between the clubs.