Michael Malone could not (or wanted) hide his frustration at a press conference after the big defeat against the Knicks. A journalist asks the Nuggets coach if, after such an evening, he doesn't want to throw this defeat (the second in a row at home) in the trash and move on.
“No, no, no, no!” »he repeats, in an increasingly assertive mannerafter using flowery language. “We don't do that when we're embarrassed, when we take 145 points, when we don't play hard, without effort, without physical impact. »
No question for the technician to throw this setback in the trash because it symbolizes the difficulties of his troops since the start of the season. “We are very good in offensive transition – except tonight – but we are not coming back on defense. We only run in one direction and it’s been like that since the start of the season”he remarks, lamenting that, “after 16 matches, we are still talking about efforts”.
Nikola Jokic seems to agree with the bad habits adopted by Denver, while the Knicks took control from the first moments of the game. “We were at -10 against the Lakers too. Also against the Mavericks. I feel like we're still behind.”, notes the pivot.
An evening without character for a whole group, even executives
With 13 of his 22 points in the first quarter, the three-time MVP tried to keep pace early. Then, like his teammates, except Russell Westbrook in the last quarter, he disappeared. Which bothered his coach. “I need him, Jamal Murray. I need the players, the starters to speak more”he asks.
The playmaker, with 20 points, played his part but without influencing the course of events. “It’s about energy, effort, discipline. We had none of that in this meeting. It's not a question of systems or address. They played harder”can only comment on the Canadian.
How to explain it when the Nuggets were coming off a victory in Los Angeles? “The season is long,” replies Jamal Murray who seems to argue for the accident theory. “Guys have lives outside of basketball. We had just beaten the Lakers in Los Angeles and some people live there, so they stayed there. Nobody was focused. »
Response expected Wednesday evening at Utah, one of the worst teams in the league, because then we will have to face the Clippers, the Warriors and the Cavaliers. Just that.
