Two years after he won an NBA title, Nikola Jokic views the surging New York Knicks as a “top-five candidate” to end their 52-year championship drought. The Knicks beat Jokic's Denver Nuggets 122-112 on Wednesday for their fifth straight victory.

Nikola Jokic went for just 17 points, six rebounds and six assists, low marks for him as Denver fell short at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

After being held to just 17 points in the Knicks' win over the Nuggets on Wednesday, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic praised New York and assessed their chances at a title this season.

SportsLine's model has simulated the Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks matchup 10,000 times and revealed its NBA picks for Wednesday

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Coming in as underdogs, the Nuggets are a good bet here, considering they’re No. 7 in overall net rating, whereas the Knicks are No. 5. Denver is an excellent second-half team, showcasing the league’s second-best net rating, 8.8, after halftime, while having a net rating of just -0.6 in the first half.