Mike Malone Reveals His Concern About Closeout Games

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

After getting beat in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on their home floor in the Mile High City, the Miami Heat officially took homecourt advantage away from the Denver Nuggets, which could’ve changed the series.

Unfortunately for Miami, it didn’t even faze Nikola Jokic and company, with the Nuggets getting consecutive wins at the Kayesa Center to take a commanding 3-1 series leading before heading back to Denver for Game 5 at Ball Arena.

On Monday night, the Nuggets will have a chance to win their first NBA title in franchise history, playing host to Jimmy Butler’s squad in a closeout game.

Ahead of Game 5, head coach Michael Malone expressed some concerns about this closeout game in Denver, saying the following about these kinds of scenarios in the NBA playoffs via the NBA’s Twitter account.

“My biggest concern going into any closeout game is human nature.”

Michael Malone on how his team’s experience being down 3-1 and coming back twice in 2020 has taught them to play desperate, even when leading in a series. pic.twitter.com/9wa0YzmB6b

— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2023

Just like any coach that has been in this position before him, Malone doesn’t want his team going through the motions in Game 5 and then letting the Heat back in the series with Game 6 being played in Miami if necessary.

This is the perfect definition of a “trap game” for the Nuggets, as the odds are in their favor with the team set to play in front of their home crowd and at a place they’ve been very successful this season.

With the Heat consistently proving their doubters wrong and winning in situations where no one sees them coming out on top, there couldn’t be a more dangerous opponent for Denver in this game, which is obviously why Malone doesn’t want his team taking their eyes off the ball.

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