Denver coach Mike Malone was blunt about his team’s performance after the Nuggets were routed 145-118 by the New York Knicks at home on Monday night.
The Knicks outpaced the Nuggets by 12 points in the first quarter, extended their lead to 23 points by halftime, and surged ahead by as many as 30 points, dominating in all statistical categories.
New York shot an impressive 60.9 percent from the field, recorded a franchise-record 45 assists compared to Denver’s 23, outrebounded the Nuggets 43-33, and scored 16 more points in the paint (62-46) and on fast breaks (24-8).
Russell Westbrook led Denver with 27 points, while Nikola Jokic had a below-average performance with 22 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Jamal Murray added 20 points.
Malone expressed concern not just about the loss, but about the Nuggets’ overall direction.
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz, who defeated the Knicks in Utah on Saturday, fell apart in the fourth quarter of their 128-115 loss to the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. They’ll face a back-to-back challenge as they head to Denver.
After trailing by just one point early in the fourth quarter, Utah was outscored by 10 points for the remainder of the game, scoring only 22 points in the final period. It marked the Jazz’s fifth loss in six games. A critical statistic was Utah’s 21 turnovers, which led to 33 points for the Spurs, while San Antonio committed only 10 turnovers.
The Jazz were eliminated from the NBA Cup with this loss, despite Victor Wembanyama’s 34 points, including six three-pointers on 13-of-23 shooting.
Keyonte George led Utah with 26 points, hitting 9 of 16 shots, while Collin Sexton contributed 20 points and four assists.
Lauri Markkanen scored 14 points but suffered a left-knee contusion after colliding with Wembanyama and did not return to the game.
