After a tough 145-118 loss to the New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone didn't hide his frustration.
Instead of quickly putting the blowout loss behind them, Malone spoke up, calling out his biggest stars.
"I need Nikola Jokic. I need Jamal Murray. I need guys that have been here, in that starting lineup, to be vocal," he said.
The 145 points scored by the Knicks marks the most points the Nuggets have allowed in regulation at home since 1991.
"Regardless of who's in who's out, who do we want to be as a team? So yeah, leadership would be great, toughness would be great, physicality would be great, playing like you actually care would be great," Malone said.
Jokic had 22 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in the loss, while Murray had 20 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
The Nuggets are 9-7 on the season with a 1-2 record in the NBA Cup. They play next on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz.
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