Lost in the madness of the Nuggets’ buzzer-beating win over Oklahoma City Thursday was that it was also Michael Malone’s 100th as Denver’s head coach.
Malone, who is in his third season with the Nuggets, briefly reflected on hitting that milestone before Saturday’s matchup against defending champion Golden State. But he quickly turned his attention to the future, as Denver is currently fighting for a playoff spot but hopes its young core of Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray can spearhead a rise in the Western Conference.
“When you think about what we have potentially in the making, I’d love to be here to see that through,” Malone said, “because of who (the players) are, the talent they have and how much joy I get in working with them.”
Still focused on Thunder finish. Because the Nuggets did not practice Friday, their wild 127-124 win over Oklahoma City remained a popular topic following shootaround.
Gary Harris on his game-winning buzzer-beater: “Those are the types of moments you dream of. If you have a chance to hit that shot, who wouldn’t want that?”
Torrey Craig on defending Paul George before his game-tying 3-pointer: “I was trying to play on his hip, so he could just go to the rim. Then he stopped, gave me a little push-off but I contested it. When it left his hand, I was like, ‘Don’t go in. Don’t go in.’ Thankfully, Gary saved me on that one.”
Additionally, the NBA made several rulings about Denver’s final possession in its last two-minute report. It determined Jokic took about 5.1 seconds to inbound the ball, which should have resulted in a five-second violation and turnover. It also said that though Jokic shuffled his feet while attempting to inbound the ball, he “does not leave the designated throw-in spot, which is defined by the rule book as the space within one step of his original position in either direction.” It also confirmed an offensive foul should not have been called on Wilson Chandler for running into Jerami Grant because both players “are performing normal defensive and offensive movements when they collide before the inbound, and the contact is therefore deemed incidental.”
Mentally fried? Following Saturday’s shootaround, Malone fired a lighthearted jab at Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who said his team is “mentally fried” about two weeks away from the all-star break.
“They’re fried, obviously,” Malone said. “It should be an easy game for us.”
But how does Malone feel his team is holding up? Denver went 7-8 in January, a month that included four stretches of three games in four nights. But Malone has been encouraged by the Nuggets’ progress during their toughest week of the season, with two heartbreaking losses to Boston and at San Antonio followed by Thursday’s thrilling victory over the Thunder.
“You don’t see a team that is waiting for the all-star break,” Malone said. “I think you see a team that is kind of hitting their stride a little bit and feeling pretty good about themselves, which is great to see.”
Efficiency up, turnovers down. Following a stunning loss to Phoenix on Jan. 19, Malone vowed to call fewer plays in hopes the Nuggets’ offense would return to its free-flowing style that made it one of the most potent in the NBA last season. In the six games since, Denver’s offensive rating is 111.8 points per 100 possessions, nearly five points better than its season average entering Saturday’s game.
Coaches and players point to an increase in pace, though Denver is actually averaging fewer possessions over its past six games (95.6) than on the season (98.5). But Malone also emphasizes side-to-side ball movement to create open 3-pointers and cuts to the basket.
A surprise? Denver’s 13.3 turnovers per game during this stretch is lower than its season average of 15.7 per game.
“Our guys are doing just a better job of understanding the importance of not beating yourself and making the simple play,” Malone said. “You don’t have to make a crazy homerun, thread-the-needle play.”
Footnote: Nuggets starting big man Mason Plumlee (calf strain) has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against Golden State but was walking in the Pepsi Center hallway without crutches. Wilson Chandler, who started Thursday at power forward, is listed as probable to play against the Warriors with an illness. Chandler left last Saturday’s win over Dallas with a migraine and did not play against Boston or San Antonio.
