Count Nikola Jokic as a believer in the Knicks. After absorbing a 122-112 defeat at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night, the three-time NBA MVP touted the Knicks as legitimate title contenders.

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.

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 of a title this season.

New York doesn’t have to do anything between now and the trade deadline to reach its goals. The Knicks have been fine with the roster as is. With that said, the sense around the league is that the Knicks will do something minor in order to bolster their bench, whether sooner by getting a player back in a trade or later in the buyout market.

After making a franchise-altering trade with the Raptors last year, the Knicks could be looking toward Toronto again for frontcourt help ahead of next week’s NBA trade deadline. The Knicks have expressed interest in Raptors forward Chris Boucher,