Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone doesn’t look worried about facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2023-24 NBA playoffs. Last year, they gained the upper hand against LeBron James and company in the Conference finals.
“We swept them last year. We swept them this year,” said Malone, as quoted by Harrison Wind. “They come in playing really well and hungry. They want to flip that script. Our players understand that. We know them, they know us. We know what to expect.”
The truth is the Nuggets have been dominant against the Lakers as of late. Last year, Nikola Jokic and company swept the purple and gold in the Western Conference Finals en route to the NBA championship.
On top of that, Denver went 9-0 against Darvin Ham’s team the last nine times they met. The last three wins by the Nuggets were by double digit, so one can understand Malone’s confidence, even if it sounds strange to hear a coach say that.
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in action against the New York Knicks during their game at Madison Square Garden on February 03, 2024 in New York City.
Malone knows Lakers are very motivated to beat Nuggets
However, as optimistic as he looks about his team’s chances, Malone also understands the Lakers will head into this series with a bigger desire to get revenge and prove their doubters wrong.
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The Nuggets head coach is well aware Denver became the team to beat by winning the championship last year, but if the rest of the league wants to take them down, Lakers want it even more after losing so much in their last matchups.
“Come Saturday, there are 15 other teams that want what we have. We have the world championship trophy and everybody’s trying to take it from us,” Malone said. “You win a championship and now comes a very hungry Laker team who is pissed off that we’ve beaten them eight-straight times.”
LeBron James draws praise from Malone
Malone’s confidence on the Nuggets and their recent record over the Lakers doesn’t mean he’s taking anything for granted, especially since LeBron James will be on the other side.
“It’s year 21, and the guy is getting better. He had a career year from the three-point line. It’s really amazing when you sit back as a fan of the game, it’s really incredible. I hope he gets tired. I hope he wears down,” Malone said. “But I’ve seen no signs of LeBron James slowing down by any means and I think it’s gonna be another challenge for our group.”
