Michael Malone on Jamal Murray’s Injury & NBA Playoff Feeling

Michael Malone on Jamal Murray’s Injury & NBA Playoff Feeling

Michael first off you gotten a chance to talk with uh quickly at halftime and uh quickly after the game um obviously I talked to him right at the half and uh you know he thought he was going to be able to try to maybe give it a go see

How it warmed up and uh it just wasn’t responding the way he had hoped so I think it was a smart decision you know not to you know have him out there uh just trying to be um you know as careful as possible at this point of the season and that’s why

I give our other guys credit you know Reggie stepped up CB as our backup point guard in the second half and the most impressive thing for me is you know that’s five wins in a row you know the first four were kind of like you know ball was flying we’re gotten running and

Tonight was a completely different game tonight was a playoff game possession by possession half court they’re a great defensive team we we had earned everything we didn’t have a great shooting night but though Michael Porter was outstanding you know his 30 and 11 uh obviously Nia Aaron

Kcp um it was a it’s a quality win against a team that’s been playing at a high level so proud of our guys you know um on a back toback against that kind of an opponent what stood out the defense you got in that third quarter especially

When you were kind of without a true point guard with Joker and a bunch of wings yeah it was um on nights where your offense is not clicking or you’re struggling to make shots your defense better be great and uh if it’s not you’re getting blown out

And that was what was uh unique about tonight is that we shot 42 they shot 42 and it was a uh you know we wind up winning by six points very reminiscent of our finals games you know I mean keeping them right below 100 points uh but that unit found enough

Stops and we were able to get enough baskets and I thought Michael in that stretch was you know I took him out with two minutes to go because I knew I wanted to get him back in to start the third uh the fourth rather when I took

Nia out and but I felt Michael’s baskets and his offense were kind of carrying the day to give us that separation and um it was it was great to see Michael step up with like he did in Portland Jamal didn’t play that game Michael was outstanding Jamal didn’t play second

Half Michael was outstanding so you know give Michael Aaron NCA pope all those guys just a ton of credit for playing the games that they played coach it’s second game in a row you the team under 100 points I know that’s kind of a benchmark for you guys do you see your

Defense kind of rounding the form or taking a step improv oh yeah yeah I think we’re one of maybe like three teams in the league that are top 10 in offense and defense and on the season and then now we five games in a row post Allstar break I think our defense is

Probably around top five right now in a short period of time um but when you win and you have a winning streak it’s always going to coincide with playing good defense for us at least uh because that’s where it starts and that’s why we were able to win last year I felt their

Defense and the playoffs stepped up so um you know we have you know a tough game in La coming up and then we have a couple of really tough teams coming into ball Arena to start off the month of March so that defense has to continue these final 23 games you’ve

Mentioned defense obviously without Jamal obviously this team has found a lot of ways to win in different ways throughout the year and especially last year along the way to the title just can you speak to finding different and unique ways to win throughout the season and then changing yourself to kind of

How the game is uh well good teams great teams find a way and again I like the first four man we were averaging 24 in transition 36 assists 68 in the paint it was like this is like a video game and then tonight was like oh wow this is an

Elite defense it wasn’t as easy and plus I think we were somewhat tired from playing last night but um you got to regroup you got to figure out okay how’s the game being called by the officials uh it’s we’re not getting all those transition points tonight we only had

Nine um so now you got to be really sharp with your execution you got to make open shots and and you got to make sure that you’re taking care of the basketball and uh you know we did a decent job with that tonight but it speaks to us being a really experienced

And talented team that can win lots of different ways when Nia puts up a shot even from 70 ft way what constitutes a shot coach and what doesn’t Nicole is clearly our young that’s happened in my 9 years with Nicole you know how many times that’s

Happened and and I think what happens is the referees are just looking at the location well there’s no way you’d be shooting a jump shot from 75 ft but for me and for Nia take away the forget the location if I am in my upward shooting motion should be a shooting

Foul should be three free throws because it’s a 75 foot three-point attempt and I just want to make sure the league knows that Nia works on 75 shot uh foot pull-ups after practice every day but it it’s tough I mean the referees have a really hard job especially in a game

Like that where it is a slow halfcourt physical each possession is just you know mono imano it’s it’s a very hard game to referee but that’s what I see in those plays is that he he smart he knows they’re going to foul so he goes up into

The shooting motion and I don’t think he’s ever been rewarded fore throws once and hopefully that will change at some point when you have someone as tough as Jamal as gamer mentality Jamal you have to balance the big picture of the six months to go versus 10 games or whatever

With him or is he kind of no well usually yes yes it is like because Jamal is I’ve said this many times to you guys is that he’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever been around mentally physically he can play through things that a lot of guys wouldn’t even

Consider playing through and so when Jamal realizes hey man you know we got 23 games to go this is not feeling great right now um I think it’s you know it’s great for him to realize being cautious right now is probably the the really prudent decision and um and that shows

Also maturity you know he’s growing up and he realized if we and I said this about hey you guys should be the one seed yeah that’d be great I want to be healthy cuz I know if we’re healthy then we can beat anybody anywhere and so that’s all I

Care about is trying to be as healthy as possible down the stretch and into the playoffs he’s dealt with ankle stuff hamstring stuff Shin stuff this season do you guys after another one that kind of piles on do you look at trying to find him a couple games off here coming

Up you think or will he want to play through some of that well we we’ll see obviously uh you know this is a back toback so all all tomorrow is going to be is meet at the the plane fly to LA and get ready for the the Lakers he’ll

Come in all the other guys will come in and get some kind of treatment some Player Development prior to the flight and we’ll see I had a quick uh discussion with Steve short who heads that group and um you know if there’s any hesitancy then you know he won’t

Play in LA if the ankle’s not right but if he if he feels like no I can go out there and and the question is never can I go play I think oh I can play no can you play effectively because if you’re not playing effectively you’re putting

Everybody El at a disadvantage so we’ll see and if he if he’s not able to play against the Lakers because of the ankle injury then we’ll hopefully get him back for Phoenix a couple days after that thank you coach thanks everybody Michael and Nicole

Michael Malone press conference after Denver Nuggets win 103-97 over the Miami Heat. Coach Michael Malone highlighted the pivotal second quarter that turned the game around. Malone praised the team’s defensive effort, which held the Heat to 61 points across the second to fourth quarters, and underscored Jamal Murray’s exceptional performance, contributing 32 points with a highly efficient shooting night. Aaron Gordon’s aggressive play and impact were also noted as key factors in the quarter that shifted the game’s momentum. Malone’s reflections included an emphasis on the team’s adaptability and collective effort, showcasing the Nuggets’ depth and the importance of every player’s contribution as they gear up for the playoff run.

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