The Denver Nuggets allowed the most points in regulation at home since 1991 in a 145-118 loss to the New York Knicks at Ball Arena. Such a one-sided defeat would be one the team would be keen to put behind them quickly, right? Incorrect. Speaking to reporters after the game, a frustrated Michael Malone was clear that he wanted his team to remember that feeling.

“Nah, fuck it,” Malone said. “No, we don’t wash up. You don’t flush if you’re ashamed. You don’t flush if you’ve given up 145 points. You don’t flush if you didn’t play hard and with effort. “I didn’t play with the physicality.

With a hit rate of 60.9 percent from the field and 52.8 percent from distance, the Knicks temporarily gained a lead of up to 30 points. And while Denver had a productive night on offense, they didn’t get nearly enough effort on defense and, in Malone’s view, not enough leadership from the team’s two best players, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and star guard Jamal Murray.

“Well, like Russell Westbrook,” Malone said. “He’s vocal. But we need more than Russell Westbrook. I need Nikola Jokic. I need Jamal Murray. I need people who have been on the starting grid here to be vocal. And tonight we were ashamed.”

For his part, Jokic admitted that the team “didn’t show up” and needed to “do a better job.” Murray said during his session with the media that he felt like the focus of some players on the team was elsewhere.

Whatever the reason, it’s clear that something needs to change as the Nuggets have lost four of their last six games after starting a five-game winning streak in early November.

“We’re 16 games in and we’re talking about effort, we’re talking about toughness, we’re talking about physicality,” Malone said. “…And 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 really care would be great, and we didn’t do that tonight.”

Denver (9-7) travels to Utah to face the Jazz (4-12) on Wednesday.