Nuggets - Knicks Game Recap Video: (via YouTube)

Denver won 123-100.

Highlights of the New York Knicks - Denver Nuggets brawl

— The fight started when Denver’s J.R. Smith was fouled hard by Mardy Collins. Collins grabbed Smith around the neck as he was going in for a breakaway layup. There was 1:15 left and Denver had a 19-point lead.

Says Chris Sheridan:

The Knicks were angry the Nuggets still had their starters in the game in the final two minutes despite a double-digit lead, including a 119-100 advantage when Collins committed his foul.

“They were sticking it to us pretty good, really giving it to us. J.R. had one dunk where he reversed and spun in the air, and Mardy didn’t want to see that happen again in front of our fans,” Knicks coach Isiah Thomas said.

- Denver’s Carmelo Anthony and New York’s Nate Robinson quickly jumped in. Anthony threw a punch at Collins.

- Robinson and Smith tackled each other, and flew right into the first row of spectators.

– Several threw punches. Ten players on the court at the time were ejected: Camby, Andre Miller, Eduardo Najera, Smith and Anthony of the Nuggets; and Channing Frye, David Lee, Collins, Robinson and Jeffries of the Knicks.

- There were no other injuries among the players, except for Smith who had a red mark along the left side of his face.

- No fans got directly involved in the fight.

- Each team was forced to put five new players on the floor. Camby had 24 points and nine rebounds, and Miller added 12 points and 10 assists.

Pictures (via Sports Illustrated):

Related News Stories on the Nuggets - Knicks free-for-all:

• Ten players ejected following Knicks-Nuggets brawl
• Brawl mars Nuggets victory
• Cooler heads can’t prevail if hot heads get in way
• Fight Night at the Garden
• Players from both teams talking trash as they headed to locker rooms
• Anthony may face stiffest penalty in wake of brawl
• Now Stern must hit back hard - Even if he is a star, Anthony must sit; Robinson, Jeffries, too

What the blogs are saying:

Ian Bethune:

This is just another blackeye for the NY Knicks and the NBA. The Knicks already have enough problems as it is and now this. You can be sure that the Commish David Stern will not be lenient when it comes to the fines and suspensions.

AOLSportsBlog:

Before you go blaming this on those showboating NBA brats, think on this: George Karl, UNC kin to Larry Brown, is the coach of the Nuggets. The Knicks are currently helmed by Isiah Thomas, who as GM of the Knicks clashed bitterly with Brown. This was Karl, through his team, going at Thomas. Who knows whether J.R. was dunking with Karl’s vendetta in mind, or whether Collins lashed out in defense of Isiah. But before we blame the players, let’s not forget that this could’ve been prevented if Karl and Thomas had behaved like role models.

True Hoop:

One of the rules is that you don’t leave your starters in to humiliate the other team. Seems like making a mountain out of a molehill to me, but OK, that’s the rule, and Nuggets violated it.

Comment in Drudge Retort post:

My three older children have always been involved in sports….three or four a year and I have seen some parents flip out over bad calls, coaches not playing their kids, at people in the stands.
Then these same parents wonder why their children behave the way they do??

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