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After making easy work of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets have really struggled in the second round against the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves.
Heading into Game 3 on Friday at the Target Center in Minneapolis, the Nuggets face a 0-2 deficit in the series and are currently underdogs to get a win against Anthony Edwards and company on the road.
Needless to say, things aren’t looking good for the defending champions right now, as it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that they get swept in this second-round series against arguably the best defensive team in the NBA.
With the Nuggets heading into a must-win situation on Friday, head coach Mike Malone stressed a sense of urgency to his team and reminded them that they are the reigning world champions, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
“This is about going out there and playing the game of basketball the way we have played for six years,” Malone said. “I reminded our guys today, we’re the reigning world champions. Act like it and play like it.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone: “This is about going out there and playing the game of basketball the way we have played for six years. I reminded our guys today, we’re the reigning world champions. Act like it and play like it.” ( @VicLombardi) pic.twitter.com/iN87j6Sxa2
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 8, 2024
Fortunately for Denver, star point guard Jamal Murray wasn’t suspended for his actions in Game 2, where he threw a heating pad on the floor from the bench and then topped that off by not talking to the media after the game.
With Murray set to play in Game 3, the Nuggets will have a fighting chance as the underdogs on Friday, but it remains to be seen if they can hold the Timberwolves at bay in order to get back into this series.
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