Knicks–Nuggets brawl
Madison Square Garden, the site of the brawl.
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| Date | December 16, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | Madison Square Garden, New York City | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referees | Dick Bavetta, Violet Palmer, Robbie Robinson | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 19,763 | ||||||||||||||||||
The Knicks–Nuggets brawl was an on-court altercation at a National Basketball Association (NBA) game between the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 16, 2006. This altercation was the most penalized on-court fight in the NBA since the Pacers–Pistons brawl two years before.
The fight began with a flagrant foul by Knicks guard Mardy Collins on Nuggets guard J. R. Smith in the closing seconds of the game. Several players joined in the confrontation, and began to make physical contact. The fight briefly spilled into the stands, and also stretched to the other end of the court. All ten players on the floor at the time were ejected after the altercation was finished. When suspensions were announced, seven players were suspended without pay for a combined total of 47 games.
Although they were not penalized, Nuggets coach George Karl and Knicks coach Isiah Thomas were both scrutinized for their part in the brawl. Carmelo Anthony was also criticized for harming his image as a star, and several writers said the league had penalized the players excessively because it wanted to keep its image free from violence.
Entering the game, the New York Knicks had a record of 9–17 while the Denver Nuggets sported a 13–9 record. Despite trailing the entire game, the Knicks came as close as 2 points in the first half but the Nuggets regrouped and closed the half with a 13-point advantage and continued to lead in the second half by as much as 26 points in the third quarter. The Knicks briefly came within 10 points with ten minutes left in the game, but the Nuggets went on a 12–2 run and were never threatened again. Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points to lead the Nuggets, and Marcus Camby added 24 points and 9 rebounds; Stephon Marbury scored a season-high 31 points for the Knicks.
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