Denver Nuggets Coach Mike Malone Postgame | Miami Heat

and um tried in the second half match Aaron wi for Jimmy Butlers feel that was that best match up for him but yeah I felt that you mentioned Reggie had the big seven points in a row big big three I thought Christian his game Payton Justin you know they didn't make shots early on but the effort was there all night long and to uh to start the road trip off not only with the win but holding in the 888 points uh I think it 42 from the field only 23 from three-point line uh those was just tremendous defensive effort for four quarters and um good way to start a very important road trip for us we've talked about how sort of the finishing numbers have gone down for Reggie a little bit throughout the season you can see how happy everyone was for him after that stret going time what does it kind of mean for him to have that a stretch like that to see everyone be well yeah we're a family you know and uh a lot of people say that but I think our group is really connected and uh we don't just play with each other I think we care for each other and I may sound corny in Pro Sports but I think the best teams the closest teams really do have a Brotherhood and I think everybody knows that Reggie's been struggling to make shots never for a lack of effort uh the guy's in the gym all the time and the funny thing is I had Jamal Murray and kavus call at the scores table during that stretch and this this speaks a lot about our group both those guys said to me coach let Reggie ride let CB ride group is playing well and you know part of our culture cuz we do have a culture in Denver as well part of our culture is being selfless getting over yourselves and I think that you know that's another example of how our team is always uh getting over the individual thinking about the collectives and you know really happy for Richie Jackson you know it hasn't been an easy stretch for him but he showed out in the fourth quarter of a really important game for us you know how tough it is to play Miami with the way they collapse on Nia how valuable are these kind of games against those kind of teams cuz it shows you can play any way you want yeah if you want to be a a champion and for us if you want to be a team that can repeat as Champions uh you have to be able to win on the road and win different types of games to your Co pi and some nights it's going to be a rap race it's going to be up and down and other nights it's going to be a dog fight in the half court possession by possession and it seems like every time we play against Miami I think we beat him in game one 103 to 97 and tonight is 100 to 88 so um you know B Meto is a hell of a Defender they do a really good job of limiting Nicole's looks um but other guys Michael Porter gets 25 Aaron 16 Jamal 14 and the bench comes up big especially late in the game so that's what you need if teams are going to sell out and take Nico away somebody else has to step up and help carry the load and we have plenty of examples of that to see Michael let me ask you this in terms of someone maybe stepping up has to step up when you have muray but you have players to compliment them many games many nights for you as a coach what stands out to you when P can step up regie games what stands out to when have so many players make compliment to well if if you're going especially in the Western Conference if you're going to be a team that is hoping to have a deep player room but you got to have quality de you I mean like it's you're never going to win with just player we won a championship last year because yes Nicole was a great player fins MVP Jamal Murray was still super human during the playoffs last year and every other player you know from from casy P to Aaron to Michael Bruce Brown Jeff Green last year they all stepped up and they they they did the best version of themselves in their respective roles and uh good teams have that you know you look across the NBA one guy may have not have a night he could be out other players step up and I think the biggest thing for us is that all of our players Trust in each other and uh it's fun to watch and it's great seeing the coach in that regard coach I was wondering if you've already answered I'm sorry but uh a little fivepoint push right at the end of the third quarter how important was that it was cuz now we're going to the fourth quarter up one the third quarter wasn't our best quarter um they came out very aggressive and um and we weren't playing our best basketball by any means Chris as you could see but to have the group that closed there kind of closed that quarter with a little bit of a push give us a little bit of momentum um and you know now you you look up on the scoreboard I know it's only one point but we're still up and to to say you know what we just played probably one our worst quarter of the game we still up at one point on the road against a very good team um you know let's get off to a good start in the fourth quarter so I I agree I think how you close quarters is really important and it gave us some momentum going into the final St coach it was a pretty back and forth game there and then you guys managed to outscore them by 11 in the fourth quarter what do you think was the biggest difference as to you know why how you guys were able to do that I think it we'll always start with our defense I mean you know to hold them to 17 points in the fourth quarter on 33% from the field uh you know something we always talk about it's that your fourth quarter has got to be your best quarter it's closing time and uh last year we were third in clutch defense this year we're first in clutch defense so when the game is hanging in the balance we have great confidence that we can get timely stops Ely rebounds and to keep teams at Bay they kept on coming at us but with the group we had out there Reggie CV uh I think Michael Aaron and Nia they just did a great job of executing working the clock making big baskets and then you know getting the really important stop on the other end where I didn't even have to get Jamal back into a very late and get kcp back in at all so it just speaks to us understanding what time it is in the game and uh you're only going to be able to win the game if your defense steps up to an even higher level good good coaches are like Father players what did it mean for you the had six points I think at halftime they had a 5 minute stretch where I think they're eight of 10 they go 18 points and it's guys that have had some confidence issues re regie CB P um what does that how does that make you feel kind of that Father Figure not just a coach well yeah I mean you you love each of the 18 players I mean I do and you know when you look at what Reggie's gone through as of late you I know that he is a better player than he's played as of late and for him to stick with it and I just gave him a hug and said I was so proud of you and he said well coach thank you for sticking with me well that's what it is even in the first half like I think pton Watson his he was 0 for three his first three shots so what I the next time out going into the second quarter I just tap him on the hey great look right there in the corner keep shooting the ball stay aggressive I want guys my father taught me a long time one of the greatest lessons for me that he ever gave was the greatest gift I can give any of my players at confidence so if they go over three they look over and I'm like make a shot come on that's not going to help them but if I encourage them and stay with them and uh and they know it's genuine then they have a chance to go out there and play to the best of their ability so um yeah I got 18 boys and two daughters sorry because uh because you mentioned it pregame sort of like even going back to the film session last year in the final how you sort of threw it to the players and let them evaluate themselves on those clips how what is sort of your general approach to film sessions do you like is it generally a little bit more you speaking to them or like what is kind of the standard for those foring yeah I mean it's um there'll be a lot of or myself or David ad Ryan Saunders will present film to our group and you know it'll be one of us kind of leading the session uh but I I like interactive film sessions I I don't believe in just watching a film session and having me speak the whole time and uh I learned from Jeff Van gby who learned from Pat Riley asking your players questions quizzing your players what does that show you want to keep them on their toes are they paying attention do they know you know what they should know and two it shows me this if I done my job if they don't know the answer is I failed as a coach so quizzing guys and having interactive film sessions has always been beneficial for us um and then sometimes I mean our players have to take ownership this is their team and one great way of taking ownership is you know speaking up in a film session and I'll ask somebody to tell me about this clip they're not even in the game I want you to tell me what's wrong or what's right with this clip because trying to get our guys to communicate on the court you also got to get them to talk to each other off the court coach coach I know you said uh that health is priority going down the stretch and into the playoffs but how nice is it to ascend to so possession in first place in the rest time yeah it's great I mean it's uh I I hope people understand when I say health is Paramount I've never once said we don't want the number one suit we will surely take it it was great to us last year uh that allowed us that home court advantage the entirety of the playoffs which help helped us win the first championship in N so the fact that you know uh with 16 games to go we currently sit at one in the west is great but at the same time we know we have plenty of work to do in the margin of error in the Western Conference between us and OKC and Minnesota and the Clippers and New Orleans who's playing lights out right now uh you you have a little bit of a dip and you look around next thing you know you're not in first place so it is nice we'll take it we have a lot of work in front of us Chris but uh really the health like for Jamal to only play 31 minutes tonight only that's great for Casey P to only play 24 minutes tonight that is great um somehow some way I got to get ni col's minutes down but that's probably not going to happen till season's over thank appreciate