DENVER – After Michael Malone called the Knicks one of the NBA’s “elite” offensive teams, they showed the championship-winning NBA coach why with an explosive and historic performance Monday night at Ball Arena.

The Knicks combined both facets of their game – sharing the ball to set a franchise record with 45 assists – and achieved by far their most impressive victory over Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, 145-118.

“That’s what I liked about the game. I thought the team was very unselfish all year long,” Tom Thibodeau said after the Knicks scored their most points against the Pistons since November 1980. “We make good shots and we find the guy who has a good hand or a good matchup, but we do that through movement, and that means everyone works together to make the right shots.” If we can do that, We are an excellent offensive team.”

The hot hand has increasingly become OG Anunoby, who is turning heads after receiving the richest contract in team history over the summer ($212.5 million).

Anunoby continued his scoring spree in November with a career-high 40 points on 16-23 from the floor, including five of seven from 3-point range, to lead the Knicks’ 60.9 percent shooting performance.

“I didn’t see any divisions, but we’re a really good team, so it was pretty cool,” said Anunoby, who made a season-high 27 with seven 3-pointers a game earlier in Saturday’s loss to the Jazz. “I’ve never been on a team like this.”

Thibodeau’s team also bounced back from a poor defensive performance in Utah, but once again it was the Knicks’ high-octane offense that stood out again.

Their 76 in the first two quarters were their most points scored in a half this season, and their 45 assists matched the franchise mark set in 1979.

Jalen Brunson scored 23 points with a career-high 17 assists for the Knicks, who will continue their five-game road trip Wednesday night in Dallas.

He became the first Knick since Nate Robinson in the 2008-09 season to score at least 20 and 15 in those categories in the same game.

“The ball went in the basket and we got off to a good start and didn’t really look back,” Brunson said.

Karl-Anthony Towns remained in the lineup after being listed as questionable after a minus-34 at Utah and finished the game with 30 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks (10-7).

Jokic, the three-time MVP who is averaging a triple-double this season, was primarily guarded by Towns – and managed 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes for the Nuggets (9-7).

“We understand what happened in Utah. We wanted to get back to our standards, especially against a team like this,” Towns said. “If anyone knows, I know the MVP. You want to go out and play your best basketball game against the best.

“Defensively, I thought we did a great job tonight, and offensively, of course, it was a historic night for our offense. Both sides of the ball worked today.”

Anunoby, who averaged 21.5 points in 13 games in November, practiced his first four shots (including two 3s) and scored 12 points in the first quarter.

Towns hit a 3-pointer and a down-the-lane dunk early in the second quarter, and his second three-pointer extended the lead to 21 less than three minutes into the quarter.

Towns mostly guarded Jokic, but Anunoby later denied the six-time All-Star and went the distance for a layup. He also received a long feed from Josh Hart after a steal for an uncontested dunk and scored 20 points before halftime as the Knicks took a 76-53 lead into the break, their highest point total of a half of the season.

Anunoby broke free for two more dunks early in the third, extending the lead to 26, and the Nuggets never got closer than 17 after that.

Anunoby, whose previous career highlight was a 36-point win for the Raptors against the Knicks in 2021, set a new personal record with two more 3-pointers late in the session to give them a 113-87 lead early on of the last quarter.

“It’s cool to score 40 points, but it’s better to win,” Anunoby said. “What did we win by, like 20? I’m happier about that.”