The Nuggets misplaced at residence for the second time in 4 days on Monday, falling by a rating of 145-118 to the Knicks. Requested by a reporter throughout his post-game media session if he was ready to “flush” the sport and transfer on, head coach Michael Malone strongly pushed again on that concept, by way of DNVR Sports activities.
“F–t that, no, no, no. We’re not flushing,” Malone mentioned. “You don’t flush if you get embarrassed. You don’t flush if you gave up 145 factors. You don’t flush if you didn’t play laborious, didn’t play with effort, didn’t play with physicality. I’m not flushing something.”
Malone praised Russell Westbrook, who scored a team-high 27 factors, for his willingness to be “vocal” on and off the courtroom, however mentioned he’d wish to see extra of that form of management from gamers who’ve been cornerstones in Denver for years.
“I would like Nikola Jokic, I would like Jamal Murray,” Malone mentioned. “I would like guys which were right here in that beginning lineup to be vocal.”
The Nuggets have been with out beginning ahead Aaron Gordon since Nov. 4 attributable to a calf harm, and Jokic and Murray have every missed a number of video games, however Malone doesn’t view that as an excuse for a modest 9-7 document and what he views as an inconsistent compete degree to date this season.
“No matter who’s in (and) who’s out, who will we wish to be as a crew?” Malone mentioned. “Management could be nice. toughness could be nice. Physicality could be nice. Taking part in such as you truly care could be nice. We didn’t try this tonight.
“… We’re simply fooling ourselves,” Malone added later. “Sure, (the Knicks) are an excellent crew, but when that’s the hassle we’re going to present forth, we received’t even be near being a playoff crew.”
Jokic agreed with Malone’s evaluation, telling reporters that the Nuggets wanted “an excellent punch within the face simply to get up” and mentioned the gamers “collectively have to do a greater job,” by way of ESPN.com. Murray agreed that it was on the gamers, not the coaches, to determine issues out and puzzled if staying in Los Angeles in a single day after Saturday’s win vs. the Lakers may’ve performed a component within the crew’s sluggishness on Monday.
“It’s a protracted season. Guys have lives outdoors of basketball,” Murray mentioned, by way of Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports activities. “We simply beat L.A. in L.A. We’ve acquired some guys who reside in L.A., so (we) stayed in L.A. I don’t suppose the main target was there from everyone, and that’s what occurs if you don’t have the main target.”
The Nuggets are presently tied with the Suns for the seventh-best document in a crowded Western Convention and sit only one sport forward of the No. 11 Timberwolves.
