Michael Malone Not Happy with Nuggets after Win over Jazz

Michael Malone Not Happy with Nuggets after Win over Jazz

Michael just allow 44 in the first half and then 44 in the third quarter but was sort of the the message after that third in terms of just what what changed defensively and energy wise yeah we stopped playing yeah that was a it was embarrassing you know um I can I can

Hear my father who’s up in heaven I hope he’s up in heaven but every time we get a big lead he said it you guys are the same old nuggets for nine years now you get a big lead stop playing stop doing what got you the lead and you let teams

Back in almost every single night so I I I could my father was right here tonight talking to me saying I Told You So and uh was really proud of our approach to start the game I mean again the way we approach this game uh to build a 39o lead was outstanding unfortunately

Coming out of the half uh we did not do anything remotely close to what we did in the first half to get that lead and uh do never that that’s a Learning lesson for us don’t get bored with success and uh you know to allow 44

Points in a in a a third quarter 63 from the field five turnovers six offensive rebounds like they’re Pros man they’re going to keep playing and we stopped playing uh I felt that bench unit in the fourth quarter uh they at least played with a little bit more conviction and um

Now we were able to pull away you know once they cut it to 14 but uh we’ll take the win you know uh we’ve been struggling within our division so now we’re six and five in our division we’re and one out of the break we have 18

Games to go but you know it’s all about creating habits in that second half we did not create good habits so does tonight leave you more frustrated than satisfied with the result I’ll take a win all day I mean this uh an ugly ass win is better than a pretty loss so I’ll

Take the win but I’m not going to let this slide and say this is acceptable and uh you know again for me it’s oh he scored 142 points that doesn’t matter we did not build a Hab Happ that we need in that second half and uh and our starting

Five they as veterans have to be a lot better than they were tonight and I I was talking to DeAndre Jordan walking out and I said I’m really nervous about us because we we’re going to guys are going to go away from what we did to get

The lead and it’s exactly what happened so um but you know I’m not going to you never are disappointed with a loss this is a wins and loss business so we got to win tonight at a very pivotal time time of the year but I am not you know um

Just going to accept how we played we have to be better we have to hold ourselves to a much higher standard what can you say about the way that the production was dispersed tonight the uh dispersal was great 39 assists um I think we had 30 fast break

Points I love how how fast we’re playing Katie uh going into tonight’s game out of the break we’re averaging over 20 fast break points per game that’s been a real real positive for us um and everybody was involved I mean we had what six guys in double figures

Everybody contributed um but once again you know this game should never have gotten as close as it did give them credit for making their run you know they’re going to make a run at some point um but you know it shouldn’t have gone from 39 to 14 coach I know Christian Brown filed

Out in this game but he gave you guys a lot of good minutes can’t take him with you I like it can’t take him with you what what do you say about his game and the way that he’s sort of turned things around here yeah I think he’s been

Playing well for a while now you know and um I think just kind of for him it’s getting back to being who you are you I mean like being the best Christian Brown and that means aggression that means physicality that means attacking that means rebounding I mean tonight 13

Points uh four rebounds and I don’t mind the fouls cuz they were physical fouls it’s one thing if it’s Ticky tack reaching soft fouls I felt he was fighting picked up a couple in the post fighting after switching so uh I I he’s five of five from the field shot the

Three ball with great confidence no hesitation goes three of three so a really complete game for CB and and happy for him have you noticed any difference in Jamal Murray post Allstar in the way that he’s played with that second unit um I don’t know you know tonight 37

Seven assists one turnover two steals uh he had a Gong early and I thought he was pivotal pivotal in that fourth quarter with that second unit it taking a 14-point game and extending it back out and uh you know so now we didn’t have to go to our starters right away and we

Never went to him except we got Nicole in for a cup of coffee there in the fourth quarter but uh no Jamal’s got a you know he’s got a great demeanor confident poised and uh you know we’re doing a little bit differently now we get Reggie in but now when I get Jamal

Back in I’m taking I’m putting him in for Reggie so Reggie’s getting shorter stins but that’s allowed me to get Justin holiday in the game and I think Justin holiday needs to be in the game and uh and so now you know Jamal loves taking ownership of that unit and um

That’s what I see I think he’s just finding ways to make all the guys around him better you talking about 18 games left in the process what does that look like to you I’m assuming quantifying X number wins X number losses it it is a process of what you want this team to

Look like come April 17th yeah I mean it’s uh and I know it’s this is coaching clich 101 but we really are taking this this one game at a time and within those games we may make subtle changes to lineups to rotations to trying different things defensively trying different

Things offensively to see what we can use in the postseason um you know going into tonight again we were 7even to1 I think we had the fourth ranked defense the fourth ranked offense since the All-Star break and tonight obviously the defense took a step back so going into

Toronto I want us to get back to playing defense regardless of the scoreboard I want to play defense for 48 minutes cuz that’s what it’s going to take once you get to the playoffs no matter who you play in the first round it’s going to be

A hell of a challenge the West is so damn deep and talented um you know we can’t afford to think we can just flip a switch when we want to guard and we don’t want to guard that’s going to be our constant that has to be our anchor

One more anything else all right appreciate it Jamal and chrisan in here tonight oh my bad bro

Michael Malone Press Conference after Denver Nuggets beat Utah Jazz 141-121. In a post-game press conference following the Denver Nuggets’ 142-121 win over the Utah Jazz, head coach Michael Malone expressed mixed feelings about the team’s performance. Despite achieving a significant lead, Malone criticized the team for complacency and poor habits, particularly highlighting a defensive letdown in the third quarter where the team conceded 44 points. He stressed the importance of maintaining effort and standards, regardless of the scoreboard, and noted that success should not lead to boredom or a reduction in intensity. Malone’s comments reflected a blend of frustration and determination to improve, underscoring the need for better consistency and higher standards as the playoffs approach.

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