(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The Denver Nuggets are right back in this series.
The defending NBA champions were down 0-2 after losing both games at home, and some thought they were going to get swept.
Notably, their performance in Game 2 was far from encouraging, as getting blown out at home vs a team missing it’s best defender wasn’t a good omen.
Also, with Jamal Murray looking limited by his hamstring injury and struggling with his shot, this could’ve been over fast.
That’s why coach Mike Malone had to think outside of the box to make sure his soldiers were ready for battle on Friday night.
Following the game, he revealed that he had an edit made of all the talking heads and pundits stating that the series would be over and that they were going to get swept (via NBA).
“I had an edit made… of every talking head in this country saying that the series was over, the Nuggets are done, it’s a wrap… I knew that this would maybe strike a chord.”
Michael Malone used the critics’ words to motivate Denver for Game 3 #NBAPlayoffs presented by… pic.twitter.com/B0U1WbwSEd
— NBA (@NBA) May 11, 2024
Clearly, that ignited the reigning champions’ competitive fire.
That’s a part of being a coach.
You have to know what makes your players tick and what brings the best out of them.
The Nuggets took the court from the very beginning, and they never took their foot off the gas.
This team is well-rounded and well-coached, and they clearly believe in one another.
They’ve been battle-tested, and they know they’re more than capable of beating any team on Earth when they’re at their best, including the Timberwolves.
Needless to say, this won’t be easy, and the Timberwolves will be more than ready to bounce back and tilt the scale back in their favor, so coach Malone better keep his players motivated.
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