NEW YORK – Two years after he received an NBA title, Nikola Jokic views the surging New York Knicks as a “top-five candidate” to finish their 52-year championship drought.
The Knicks beat Jokic’s Denver Nuggets 122-112 on Wednesday for his or her fifth straight victory. At 32-16, they’re a sport behind reigning champion Boston for second place within the Japanese Convention.
After ringing up 143 factors in every of their two earlier video games, their complete Wednesday gave the Knicks 408 over their final three video games, a franchise document.
They scored their season excessive of 145 factors in a victory in Denver in November.
“They’re enjoying very well. They’re well-coached, they’re pushing the tempo and within the halfcourt they know what they’re doing. In order that they’re a very good workforce,” mentioned Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP. “I believe they’re the favorites – not the favorites, however I believe top-five candidates for the title.”
The Knicks have not received the title since 1973 and have not reached the convention finals since 2000. However they loaded up for a run this summer season by buying Karl-Anthony Cities, who with Jalen Brunson gave the Knicks two gamers voted as All-Star starters for the primary time since 1975.
Brunson had 30 factors and 15 assists Wednesday, turning into simply the fourth Knicks participant to do this in a sport.
However the Knicks, who’re at the moment the fourth option to win the title at BetMGM behind Boston, Oklahoma Metropolis, and Cleveland, do not need to take into consideration having a summer season celebration like Jokic and the Nuggets loved in 2023 after they received their franchise’s first NBA title.
“I don’t need to speak in regards to the future, I need to speak in regards to the current,” Cities mentioned. “I need to discuss what we are able to do proper now to be the very best workforce we may be, as a result of I’ve loads of expertise and in case you can deal with the current, the long run will deal with itself.”
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