Michael Malone didn’t appreciate being asked about the 20-point lead that the Nuggets blew in Game 7 to the Timberwolves, which ended their quest to defend their NBA title in the second round.
“Next question man. The season is over, that’s what’s hard. F**k being up 20. The season is over, you don’t understand that. The season is over, it’s hard. Stupid ass questions.”
Reporter: “How hard is it just to absorb a loss like this after going ahead by 20?”
Michael Malone: “The season’s over. That’s what’s hard. F*ck being up by 20… Stupid ass questions.” 😳https://t.co/UxX5xKtW55
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 20, 2024
The Nuggets couldn’t crack 100 points scored in yet another game in this series, losing 98-90 against a Wolves squad who were struggling offensively. But as they ramped up their defensive intensity, the Nuggets folded in the face of pressure and the Wolves managed to run away with the contest.
Coach Malone’s response was as unprofessional as it gets from a losing head coach. He’s running high on emotions and didn’t want to face the fact that the team blew a 20-point lead in a win-or-go-home Game 7. It’s hard to deal with, so we can give Malone a little bit of grace while maintaining how unprofessional it was.
Chris Finch and Micah Nori coached rings around Malone in this round, especially in terms of defensive game-planning. We haven’t seen the Nuggets offense struggle like this in the last five seasons, but the Timberwolves figured them out.
Nikola Jokic had a big production game with 34 points and 19 rebounds while Jamal Murray led them in scoring with 35 points. No other Nugget even scored in double-digits, leaving the star duo alone as the Wolves earned this win off the back of a team effort, led by Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels both scoring 23 points apiece.
Michael Malone Gave The Timberwolves Their Credit
Even though Malone seemed incredibly upset at the press conference when asked about his shortcomings in the loss, he did give the Timberwolves full credit for winning the series by outplaying his team.
“I’m not an excuse maker. The better team won. I’m taking nothing away from Minnesota. When you look at the fact from all the teams that are still playing, we played until June last year. We had to play our main guys to Game 82 to secure the No. 2 seed, whereas last year we were able to rest down the stretch.”
While it isn’t the same as making an excuse, Malone did point out that his team was more tired than the other remaining teams because of their title run last season.
“The run last season and coming back, I think mentally, emotionally, and physically, the guy were gassed. They gave me everything I could ever ask for… As much as this hurts, I will walk out of this building tonight with my head held very high. We competed, fought, gave ourselves a chance and came up short… Nobody said it was going to be easy to repeat.”
"I'm not an excuse maker. The better team won… They [Nuggets] gave me everything I could ever ask for… As much as this hurts, I will walk out of this building tonight with my head held very high."
Denver HC Michael Malone after Game 7 pic.twitter.com/R4C8sUugI4
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 20, 2024
People are going on victory laps because of Malone’s loss, as the coach was increasingly arrogant in press conferences this season talking about their ambitions of a repeat. The challenge behind a repeat is the exact reasons Malone laid out for the Nuggets’ loss.
If you can’t deal with the fatigue of competing at the highest level for consecutive seasons, a title repeat will never be on the cards. The Nuggets entered the postseason as title favorites but their road has come to an end in the second round itself.
This loss doesn’t take away from what Malone has built in Denver, but he’ll have to refocus his strategies if he wants to come back next season and compete for a title once again.
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