You get flashes of Playoff Mal, those spring heat checks that could melt a glacier. But much of the time, it looks as if Murray is playing with a $209 million sack on his back, a wanna-be All-Star staggered by the weight of expectations. A max contract guy putting up mid numbers.

The Denver Nuggets suffered a tough defeat to the New York Knicks on Monday, a loss that left coach Michael Malone and several players visibly concerned. However, Nikola Jokic offered an unexpected perspective on the game.

The Denver Nuggets, in a 145-118 blowout loss to the New York Knicks at Ball Arena, permitted the most regulation points they've allowed at home since 1991. Such a lopsided loss would be one the team is eager to quickly put behind them,