NEW YORK — Reminiscing about the Knicks’ visit to Denver two months ago, Michael Malone gave a slightly embarrassed chuckle.
“They looked really together when we played early in the year,” the 10th-year Nuggets coach said. “I mean, they looked really together.”
New York scored 145 at Ball Arena that night, causing Malone to blast his team’s effort. This time, facing the new-look Knicks with half a season of continuity and a raucous Madison Square Garden environment at their back, the Nuggets scrapped and clawed to stay in the game. But it was to no avail in a 122-112 loss Wednesday night.