The Nuggets misplaced at house 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, via DNVR Sports.
“F–t that, no, no, no. We’re not flushing,” Malone stated. “You don’t flush while you get embarrassed. You don’t flush while you gave up 145 factors. You don’t flush while you didn’t play arduous, 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 stated he’d prefer 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 stated. “I would like guys which have been 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 damage, and Jokic and Murray have every missed just a few video games, however Malone doesn’t view that as an excuse for a modest 9-7 file and what he views as an inconsistent compete stage to this point this season.
“No matter who’s in (and) who’s out, who will we wish to be as a crew?” Malone stated. “Management can be nice. toughness can be nice. Physicality can be nice. Enjoying such as you really care can be nice. We didn’t try this tonight.
“… We’re simply fooling ourselves,” Malone added later. “Sure, (the Knicks) are a superb crew, but when that’s the trouble we’re going to provide forth, we received’t even be near being a playoff crew.”
Jokic agreed with Malone’s evaluation, telling reporters that the Nuggets wanted “a superb punch within the face simply to get up” and stated the gamers “collectively must do a greater job,” via ESPN.com. Murray agreed that it was on the gamers, not the coaches, to determine issues out and questioned if staying in Los Angeles in a single day after Saturday’s win vs. the Lakers may’ve performed an element within the crew’s sluggishness on Monday.
“It’s an extended season. Guys have lives outdoors of basketball,” Murray stated, via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports activities. “We simply beat L.A. in L.A. We’ve obtained some guys who stay in L.A., so (we) stayed in L.A. I don’t suppose the main focus was there from all people, and that’s what occurs while you don’t have the main focus.”
The Nuggets are presently tied with the Suns for the seventh-best file in a crowded Western Convention and sit only one recreation forward of the No. 11 Timberwolves.
