Nuggets Coach Mike Malone Reacts To Game 1 vs Lakers | May 16, 2023

In the second half, how relieved are you just to get out of this one with the win? Well, I mean, it's the Western Conference finals, you know, we're up 1-0 so that beats the alternative. I just told our guys you know, we'll take the win, you know, we we protected our home court and Winds are hard to come by this time of the season But our defense has to be a hell of a lot better You know that they shot 66% in that second half and they didn't feel us and they scored way too easy So we don't want to get into trying to outscore teams and outlast teams They went they went to a lot of big ball with LeBron ad and Rui out there So definitely a lot of things that we can we can look at doing a lot better, you know But to get 19 fast break points to our rebounded them by 17 and 29 assists only 11 turnovers Are all really good numbers So I'd much rather clean up things after a win in the Western Conference finals than a loss So I will take it but much work to do Michael on Nicola's night What did you think of just kind of the aggressiveness? He had to open that first quarter and how he set the town and then what was your take on that that third quarter buzzer? Reader he had from three. Yeah, I mean, let's be honest. We hit a couple of shots tonight I think Nicola's think Jamal had one at the end of a shot clock I'm not sure if Michael Porter's corner three went off the glass or not, but we had some shots that were We needed obviously in a game like tonight Yeah, but Nicola was great, you know, 34 points 21 rebounds 14 assists two blocks And as you mentioned Harrison his aggression and driving the ball dunking the ball in traffic And and we always talk about an aggressive Nicola Jokic is a very effective Nicola Jokic So, you know a hell of a job by him had to give Jamal a lot of credit, you know for playing through a game where he was questionable 31 5 and 5 3 steals another block shot and Battling through the illness, you know, I give him a lot of credit You mentioned you mentioned that the Lakers went big with with Rui out there on Jokic Just how did the game kind of shift when they they started doing that? Well, we were having a hard time scoring We were turning the ball over and you know, we had 19 fast break points tonight, but 17 were in the first half That's because we were getting stops and turning them over and running out the second half. We didn't get stops So it became a half-court game which is to their favor they have the number one defense in the playoffs So for us we have to continue to find ways to get pace into the game and not play against that set defense They have tremendous size length and athleticism out there You know, but you know, we did enough things. I thought by the way one of the biggest plays at night Michael Porter getting on the floor for that loose ball that 50-50 ball He came up with led to the only two transition points We scored in the second half on the Aaron Gordon dunk and the ball arena went nuts at that point So, you know Michael shot the ball. Well rebounded the ball. Well, but that 50-50 ball was a game-winning type of a play Michael you kind of touch on it there, but MPJ also had a couple of like blocks on the rear contests I'm just curious what you've seen from him defensively This postseason compared to what you got in in the two or three previous postseasons with him Well, I think you know He's doing what he's done all season, but I mean like I think you guys have heard me talk about it I think this season has by far been Michaels best defensive season of his very young career and you know Why is that I think he's using his 6 foot 10 frame 7 foot wingspan and most importantly he's he cares he wants to he wants to win a championship You know, I mean, uh, he came up to me during the Phoenix series and says listen, man If you want to get Bruce and at the end of a game like whatever you think is gonna help us win the game I just want to win and so it's just another example of a guy being selfless and Realizing that this is much bigger than any individual. This is about the collective But yeah, you're right. I mean coming from behind blocking Austin Reeves shot making plays at the rim getting on the glass 10 boards So, you know 15 and 10 for him making three threes on a very efficient night is a hell of a night for Michael coach similar to last series Where they obviously have to you know, all-time kind of players really good scores You can't have to pick your poison But how do you make it a little harder on? Some of the shots that Reeves was able to to get or Rui at times and limit their role players, I guess Yeah, I mean, it's you know when Jamal Murray's got five fouls We're not gonna switch to pick and roll let him guard LeBron one-on-one, you know Jamal is really important to us closing games and you know, Austin Reeves made two threes late I felt we did a great job in D'Angelo Russell. So great that he wasn't even in the game in the much in the second half But you know when you give so much attention to a LeBron and to an Anthony Davis who both had big nights 40 and 26 Other guys are gonna step up and make plays and to your point, you know, Austin Reeves 23 and Rui off the bench 17 That's where we'll go back and watch the film and figure out what we can do better and give them different looks To make it a lot harder for them You just kind of mentioned the switching on pick and rolls obviously Jamal and foul trouble What's that healthy balance for you of switching or fighting through the screen to keep your defensive matchup? Yeah, it's um, you know, we've been a switch team for most of the season with our you know, small ball lineups You know guys not named Nicola. We switched quite a bit and you know, we challenge our smalls to fight guys like Carl Anthony towns to fight guys like Kevin Durant and You know, obviously tonight LeBron and Rui, you know, they have their way with us down there And then then you are tough to is gonna beat you and if you start double teaming do you open up the three-point line? so We'll once again watch the film and see how we can do a better job Especially in that second half of just making it harder I really liked how we played in the first half good off to a tremendous start 21 point lead But they just continue to chip away and they made a game of it and fortunately we're able to pull it out We're making that run in the fourth What'd you sense from the guys when you called a couple of timeouts? And and how they responded to that running and they ultimately, you know won the game Yeah, I mean it was I think it was imperative for everybody just I went into the one of the timeouts Is everybody just you know a lot of time left. They've made their run. We have two timeouts left Let's go down and get a score out of the timeout and get a stop and take no take control the game once again And a lot of our guys are battle-tested We've been a ton of close games and I didn't think there was any Panic, I think there was poise and our guys looked at one another and realized what we had to do to close this game out And you know their second to last timeout our guys did a great job of adhering to the game plan. We forced a turnover so, you know, we know winning game two is gonna be even that much harder, but You know, we'll be better. I think come game two as well Coach KCP he's always been bringing it on defense, but he's had a couple games now with you know, big scoring outputs What are you seeing from him his ability to is it matching what the game demands in terms of veteran leadership? Is it matching what the game demands in terms of coverages? What are you seeing in these last couple outings from him? what I'm seeing is a 10-year vet who's won a world championship and who is Who is built for moments like these, you know, whether it's in the Phoenix series game five and six I mean the first quarter he had in game six and Phoenix was just incredible and you know I marveled at his game tonight Not just a defensive end But you know 21 points, you know knocks down some big threes late in the game drove the ball and finished over Anthony Davis with a finger roll So, you know KCP that's why we went out and got a guy like that You know, he's been in these situations before and who embraces this opportunity and I think that's exactly what he's doing Michael To follow the poise rather than panic statement you made for an old guy like myself I've seen a lot of ghosts of past playoff failed failures with during that run What's to say about the maturity of this team that it didn't fold under the it's a hard run by the Lakers Oh really hard run I mean that they definitely had us on our heels and they became the aggressor and switch, you know, turn the tide in this game with how aggressive they were playing and You know late in the game they put Rui on Nicola and they were just free safetying with Anthony Davis and letting him man the paint make it look really crowded and you know our execution can be better, but we made enough big plays down the stretch on both ends of the floor kids to win the game and We talked a lot about how the Lakers had gone into Memphis they had gone into Golden State in one game once and wrestles controlled the series right away and We worked too hard for that. We didn't want to give it away and And come Thursday night, it's gonna be even that much harder because you know, they're gonna get off to a better start I imagine and so our game plan discipline and our defensive Acumen and just disposition has to be a lot better for closer to 48 minutes Wanted to ask about Nicola start. He told us the other day He didn't have a strategy against Anthony Davis But I think his actions probably told otherwise he looked about as aggressive trying to take him off the dribble and attack the rim Can talk about how he set that tone and was that about as hard as you've seen Nicola drive to the rim that many times Yeah, well, it was interesting. You know when you look at the game tonight His first post up they double teamed they were sending an extra body at him early on We had a great example We showed at halftime where they double teamed him KCP cut to the basket got a layup and Then they started guarding him one on one Then they switched the matchup and all what you expect when you're guarding a great player like Nicola Because you have to give him different looks from a game plan standpoint and from a personnel standpoint, but I would agree home. I thought When he felt there was one-on-one coverage Facing up and getting to the basket and using that Understated athleticism to finish in traffic and that was great to see and he's gonna continue to have to do that at a high level But the rebounding I thought his rebounding early on. I think there was a point in this game. We were up rebounding I think 22 to 3 and so we were just kind of imposing our will on the glass And that's gotta be for four quarters. It just can't be for a half Michael you mentioned what Jamal was going through 12 to 20 finishes with 31 points What was he able to do in the past few days in terms of practice and in as much as you can say? What was he going through? Obviously non-covid illness? Yeah, it's um, I Sometimes marvel at the kid because he hasn't done anything the last couple days, you know, I mean he was he came to listen to The film work the personnel, but you know once we got to practice, you know We wanted him to go home and get some rest To try to get anything we could out of him tonight and he showed up and performed like he always does so you know 31 points five assists five rebounds three steals on a block and You know, what is he going through I don't know I think something a little bug that's kind of gone through our whole team and But once that jump all goes off he's able to shake it off and perform at a high level. Thank goodness You