The Denver Nuggets had been leading the race for the number one seed in the Western Conference, but they began to struggle in recent weeks, suffering some unexpected losses. As a result, some MVP voters began to doubt Nikola Jokic’s chances of winning the award for the third year in a row.
One of the Nuggets’ worst defeats came against the Houston Rockets, who are at the bottom of the standings. However, despite this setback, the Nuggets eventually secured the top seed after the Memphis Grizzlies lost to the New Orleans Pelicans.
After the game, Jocelyn Malone, the wife of the Nuggets’ head coach Michael Malone, jokingly told her husband that it would have been better if they had won the game. Malone responded in jest, saying that she was now his ex-wife. While the comment was playful, there was some truth to it, as the Nuggets would have preferred to clinch the top seed with a win over the Rockets.
“‘[She told me] it would’ve been a lot better if you guys got it with a win. She’s my ex-wife now,” Malone joked, per Mike Singer of the Denver Post.
Despite the defeat, Michael Malone appears to be in a better mood and has challenged his team to improve their performance. He criticized the team for playing soft and warned them that they would be easy first-round targets if they continued to play that way. However, the team has yet to respond to his challenge.
The Nuggets must now focus on shaking off the defeat and returning to the form that made them successful for much of the season. If they can do that, they have a good chance of making a deep postseason run. The team will need to rely on Jokic and their other star players to lead the way, but they will also need to improve their overall performance if they hope to advance in the playoffs.
The Uncompromising Coach: Michael Malone Takes a Tough Stance on the Nuggets’ Lackluster Performance
The Denver Nuggets suffered a humiliating 124-103 defeat against the Houston Rockets, needing only a win to clinch the first-ever No. 1 seed in their history, which they later managed to achieve. Jeff Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were seen walking off the court towards the locker room before the final buzzer sounded, unable to bear the last painful seconds of the game.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone called out his team’s focus, engagement, discipline, and care, referring to them as “soft” after their underwhelming and confounding effort. He stated that if they continue playing like that, they’ll be out in the first round of the playoffs.
Nikola Jokic returned after missing three games with a calf injury, but he was lethargic, registering eight of his team’s 20 turnovers. The Nuggets also had to deal with a first-half thumb injury to Jamal Murray, who did not play in the second half.
Malone was unwilling to use his absence as an excuse. Malone dared someone to challenge him when he called his team “soft,” but no one did, and he walked into the locker room unhappy with his team’s performance.
