After eight games in an unfamiliar bench role, it was time for Aaron Gordon to shed his minutes restriction and rejoin the starting lineup. The pain in his right calf had subsided. He was ready. But his return dominoed into a difficult choice for Nuggets coach Michael Malone.

Ahead of this game, the Nuggets made a rotation change by reinserting Aaron Gordon into the starting lineup. Rather than Russell Westbrook returning to the bench though, it was Christian Braun who went to the second unit, coming off the bench for the first time this season.

The Nuggets fell apart late in New York and squandered an opportunity for a quality win. Jamal Murray carried the team on Nikola Jokić’s down night, but the defense’s failure to cover screen rolls and getting clobbered in transition outweighed his impact.

Jamal Murray is back to playing good basketball. And the Nuggets will need him more than ever if they want to contend for a championship.

The Nuggets have improved, coinciding with Aaron Gordon’s return. But they are in a tough spot, dependent on a streaky player. Murray knows the uncomfortable truth: For the Nuggets to win big, they need Bubble Jamal — not a player who looks like he should be encased in bubble wrap.

The Denver Nuggets dropped their third game in a row, this time losing to the New York Knicks 122-112. Nikola Jokic got called for two fouls in the first

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett believe the Nuggets are much better with Russell Westbrook running point guard and Jamal Murray at the two.

So often in matchups like these, a primetime matchup against a rival, the team that “wants it” more and brings more energy and aggression to the game is the one that takes it. Against the Timberwolves last year, the Nuggets were too often back on their heels receiving haymaker after haymaker in the form of forced turnovers and transition points.

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 34 points and became the Minnesota Timberwolves’ career leader in 3-pointers in a 133-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets 133-104 on Saturday. Edwards made 14 of 23 shots from the floor and scored 23 points in the second half as Minnesota pulled away after leading by 11 at halftime.