It was an ugly win for the Denver Nuggets, who barely managed to squeak by against a shorthanded Lakers team. While most coaches might be left feeling unsatisfied with the performance, Malone was happy to take the win and went viral for throwing away the box score after the game.
“Washington’s coming in here tomorrow night, so. This isn’t a beauty pageant,” said Malone. “We don’t get rated on our wins, it’s a win. Obviously there are a lot of things we can be better at… but give them credit, they played their hearts out and made this a game.”
It was an intense feeling in Denver on Friday as the Lakers looked to snap their losing streak on the road against a top team in the West. Without LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and their starting center Jaxson Hayes, the Lakers were huge underdogs to win but they somehow hung around until the very end, when the Nuggets ultimately pulled away to win in the clutch.
The Lakers managed to compete with pure effort and strategy, giving the Nuggets a run for their money down the stretch. For Malone, however, all that matters is the final score and since the Nuggets came out on top, he’s got another thing to hold over Lakers fans’ heads.
On X, people wondered why Malone seems to take special pleasure in beating the Lakers, as he always seems to do the most in wins against the club.
“Man always saying and doing the most extra things after playing the Lakers. Rent-free in his head forever. 2020 altered his brain chemistry,” wrote one fan on X.
To Malone’s credit, the Nuggets have fared pretty well against the Lakers in recent years and especially in the playoffs, where Denver is 2-0 in series.
“Barely beat them but he’s right,” wrote a fan on X. “A wins a win. And I’m sorry but the Nuggets have owned the Lakers since after Covid, including knocking them out of the playoffs consistently, they don’t need to prove they can beat them anymore.”
Malone’s response may not have been meant to piss off Lakers fans but they swore revenge after watching him needlessly crumple up the stat sheet.
“Hope I’m off this app the day he gets fired. Lakers fans are gonna dance on our grave,” wrote one fan on Malone.
Of course, Malone wasn’t trying to talk trash on the Lakers here. It seems like his reaction was more about how his team played rather than who they beat. Still, it’s no secret that the Nuggets and Lakers have a pretty extensive history.
In 2020, the Lakers beat the Nuggets en route to the title, and the Nuggets did the same in 2023 when they won the chip. Most recently, Denver got the last laugh after beating the Lakers in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. All along the way, Malone was trashing the Lakers and roasting their extensive media coverage.
Malone, who was hired in 2015, helped transform the Nuggets from an afterthought to one of the most respected teams in the NBA. He helped lead the Nuggets to a championship and is helping Nikola Jokic achieve the peak of his potential.
This year, the Nuggets are once again among the favorites to win the West but the Lakers will be a very real threat on their path to victory. When Luka Doncic and LeBron James get healthy, they’ll be ready for revenge against Denver and Malone will be unprepared having not seen the team at full strength.
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