Three days ago, the Denver Nuggets were riding high after a commanding win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Denver. With a solid performance from his team, head coach Michael Malone was in a relaxed mood. But everything changed Monday night, as the New York Knicks delivered a dominant 27-point victory over the Nuggets at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks bounced back in impressive fashion, thanks to standout performances from OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns, lifting the spirits of Knicks fans following a tough loss to the Utah Jazz. On the other hand, the Nuggets struggled throughout the game in New York, unable to tap into the form they showcased against the Lakersâparticularly from star players Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Malone was clearly frustrated by his teamâs lack of effort in the loss, especially from his key players. During his postgame press conference, the Nuggets head coach sent a stern message to Jokic, Murray, and the rest of the squad.
âRussell Westbrook is vocal, but we need more than just Russ. I need Nikola Jokic. I need Jamal Murray. I need guys whoâve been in that starting lineup to be vocal,â Malone said, reflecting on his teamâs disappointing performance.
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets brings the ball down the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Malone didnât hold back in his criticism, emphasizing the teamâs lack of effort: âTonight, we got embarrassed. Letâs be honest, this wasnât just a bad stretch this happened for four quarters, much like it did in the first half against Dallas. Itâs been a theme, and weâve been talking about it for 16 games now: effort, toughness, physicality. We saw this in Game 1 in Memphis.â
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Malone sent a wake-up call to his players
Maloneâs message wasnât just directed at his star playersâhe made it clear that the entire team needed to step up. âRegardless of whoâs in and whoâs out, who do we want to be as a team? Leadership would be great. Toughness and physicality would be great. Playing like you actually care would be great. But we didnât do that tonight,â he said.
He gave credit to the Knicks for their intensity: âGive them creditâthey were coming off a tough loss to Utah and they played like it. They played urgent, physical, desperate, and motivated basketball. We, on the other hand, played like we thought weâd just show up and win after our L.A. victory.â
The Nuggetsâ struggles in numbers
Denverâs lack of intensity was reflected in their shooting numbers. The Nuggets shot just 44% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc, while their free-throw shooting was one of the few bright spots, connecting on 92.6% of attempts. Despite their efficiency at the line, the Nuggets couldnât keep pace with the Knicksâ relentless offense.
The Nuggets finished 41-of-92 from the field, 11-of-33 from beyond the arc, and 25-of-27 at the free-throw line. While Denver showed efficiency at the charity stripe, it was their struggles from the floor and the three-point line that ultimately cost them the game in the NBA regular season.
