Nuggets HC Michael Malone's unworried stance despite blowout double-digit loss to Timberwolves
The Denver Nuggets lost a tough one to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, but Michael Malone doesn't sound worried about his team. The Denver Nuggets lost 111-98 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, dropping them into third place in the Western Conference. Despite this loss, Nuggets HC Michael Malone remains confident about their ability to perform well in the playoffs, regardless of their position. Despite a poor first half performance, Malone believes the team can still win the West and head into the playoffs as a No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, Jamal Murray, who averages 20.9 points and 6.7 assists, did not play due to knee and ankle injuries, a significant gap given to the team. The Nuggets need to get both Jokic and Murray fit for the postseason. Despite losing back-to-back games, they are currently 7-3 in their last 10 games.
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The Denver Nuggets went into Friday night's matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves knowing they needed a win, but things did not go to plan. Michael Malone's squad lost 111-98 and in the process, dropped into third place in the Western Conference for the time being.
While Nikola Jokic did appear to be playing through a wrist injury, Malone sounded completely confident about what the Nuggets could accomplish come playoff time despite this latest two-game losing skid.
“I have complete confidence that this group, regardless of seed, can beat anybody anywhere when we're healthy.”
Yes, the Nuggets have lost a couple of pieces from their title squad, most notably Bruce Brown, but the core is still there and they've been playing well all season long. After all, Denver is 51-23.
The first half vs Minnesota was absolutely terrible though, which resulted in the fans booing the Nuggets. They went into the break trailing 62-43. Malone completely believed the jeers were warranted, too:
“The fans had every right to be disappointed about that first half,” Malone said. “… You let a golden opportunity fall through your hands. It's one thing if a team comes in here and beats you. I think we all could walk out of here and say ‘you know what, they were better than us tonight.' But tonight I don't think that was the case. Yeah it was disappointing. I hope that when you speak to our players they'll be hopefully equally as disappointed.”
Jamal Murray didn't play on Friday due to knee and ankle injuries. That's a massive hole to fill considering he's Denver's second-best player who averages 20.9 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per night. The Canadian guard hasn't suited up since March 21st. Needless to say, the Nuggets need him healthy if they're going to make another title run.
As for Jokic, he popped up on the injury report before this contest with hip and back problems. But once the game began, the wrist was evidently an issue. Malone was honestly surprised the superstar even played:
“I was surprised he played tonight, to be quite honest,” Malone said on Jokic. “His wrist is really giving him a lot of trouble. As we know, Nikola is the kind of guy that plays through a lot of things that most guys wouldn't play through.”
The Joker still balled out, scoring 32 points to go along with 10 rebounds and five assists. There wasn't much help elsewhere for the Nuggets though, with Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr combining for just 28 points.
Denver has every chance to still win the West and head into the playoffs as a No. 1 seed. Even though they've lost back-to-back games, the Nuggets are 7-3 in their last 10 outings. Sunday is an opportunity to redeem themselves against a tough Cleveland Cavaliers team at Ball Arena. As Malone said though, the seeding isn't the be-all to end all. What's most important is getting both Jokic and Murray healthy and heading into the postseason at full strength so they can play their best basketball.
Chủ đề: Minnesota Timberwolves