Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the New York Knickslosing 145-118 on Monday evening. This marked their worst defeat of the season, a harsh reality check for the ruling government N.B.A champions. The Nuggets’ Serbian sensation delivered another respectable performance, but acknowledged that the team fell short in several aspects.

Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets stumble in crushing loss to Knicks

Jokic finished the game with 22 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal in his 32 minutes on the court, shooting 9-of-20 from the field. Reflecting on the disheartening result, he noted that games like these provide learning opportunities. “I think you can always learn from games like this. What they do, how teams look at us, what they did to have a game like this,” he noted. Jokic further added, “It’s always good to get involved in the face, just to wake up.

The loss, which dropped the Nuggets to a 9-7 record, marked a significant misstep for a team used to dominating the Western Conference. Head coach Michael Malone’s previous criticism of inconsistent effort was openly endorsed by Jokic. “He was right,” Jokic acknowledged. “I don’t know, we’re not warming up, we’re not waking up or we’re just not playing hard enough. I don’t know what it is, but collectively we have to do better.”
Despite the loss, Jokic’s overall season performance remains stellar. Through 13 games, the three-time MVP is averaging 29.7 points, 13.4 rebounds and 10.9 assists per game while shooting an impressive 55.9% from the field and 52.7% from beyond the arc. This level of dominance underlines his value as a cornerstone of Denver’s ambitions.
Meanwhile, the Knicks improved to a 10-7 record and climbed to fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Their convincing performance on Monday demonstrated their potential to compete against elite teams.
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The Nuggets look to bounce back as they prepare for the showdown Utah Jazz on Wednesday. With Jokic in the lead, the team will look to regain momentum and address their recent shortcomings. For now, the loss serves as a wake-up call, highlighting the need for more focus and effort as the season progresses.