Coach Malone Full Post Game Press Conference vs. Cavaliers 🎙

Coach Malone Full Post Game Press Conference vs. Cavaliers 🎙

[Laughter] yeah and he left and you left all right W you start us off you made shot you’ve had like two hours you made some Shots tonight what was that a product of I think just unbelievable ball movement you know that that’s what I loved about tonight was

Yes we made 21 threes and last couple games we couldn’t make a three but I think more importantly was how we generated those looks the ball movement the body movement and everybody really just kind of committing to playing for the guy next to them and making plays

For your teammate and uh and then everybody benefits from that so um obviously 36 assists is a great number um the 213s I thought the second half defense was really really good but I think the key stretch for me was the way we closed that second quarter I think it

Was a 24 to 11 run then we started the third quarter on a 13-3 run that’s kind of when we took control of the game and uh you know Nicole I mean what more can you say about that guy he’s so fun to watch and uh you just so

Thankful that he’s wearing a nugget uniform man because I would hate to play against that guy or game plan against that guy but we needed this we needed this this this win and not just the win but more importantly how we got the win you know I thought the energy the

Positivity that the connectedness it was just uh you know for me I know it sounds cliche but that that to me was Denver Nugget basketball coach is that the value in yic playing through pain obviously there’s a counterargument you guys are close to the playoffs how it’s

Important you know who you are but you just said you guys needed this and needed a good process and he goes out and obviously I would say helped oh yeah well that’s an understatement yeah he helped a little bit um well I I think for for nicoa for

Myself um for our training staff I think everybody’s dealing with different bumps and bruises right now and you have to get to the point where you ask yourself at what point is he not in position to play and nicoa obviously after nine years and everything he’s done for this

Team in franchise he’ll tell us hey man my wrist is bothered me my back is bothering me my hip is bothering me so much why I can’t go out there and do my job and then when that that that happens obviously we will not play him um you

Know but I think having lost you know the Phoenix game and losing the Minnesota game this was a chance for us to kind of get back to playing our Branda basketball and get that bad taste out of our mouth and obviously Nicole’s a big part of who we are can’t wait to

Get Jamal Murray back because we know when we’re whole uh you know we have a very very confident group but um a good win for us against a very good basketball team coach you mentioned several times over the course of the last couple games about how you love the

Shots that you guys were getting they just weren’t going down then tonight they go down how proud of your team are you of the process of just kind of sticking with it no matter what is is happening out there on the well yeah that’s that’s a challenge because you

Know now with seven games to go you can’t overreact and and I have to make sure me as a head coach us as a coaching staff that hey man are we getting the good looks hey keep on shooting it know and and for our players to stay with it

Obviously Michael you know he’s going to make shots but I mean Reggie goes five of five I thought he was outstanding tonight Reggie Jackson his energy man he was just uh kcp go six of nine Christian two of three you know we just had a lot

Of guys make shots uh and that that helps you out that gives you confidence and that gave us a bit of a pep in our step but you know you’re going to go through you know parts of the Season where you’re not making shots what are

You going to do feel sorry for yourself or just keep on playing and uh and today was an example of us just kind of fighting through it and uh you know we found a rhythm you talk the pregame about Nia’s pride and and wanting to play every night you guys have also won

80% of your games since the start of last season after a loss year at home you just do not allow losing streaks to kind of occur what does that say about nicool not only as a superstar in this league but at this point in the season

To come out with that kind of focused effort well yeah I think it speaks to you know why he’s the you know going to be a three-time MVP um it speaks to his understanding that it’s not just about NOLA and that’s what I love about him probably more than

Anything is how selfless he is it’s not about him getting 26 18 and 16 it’s about he was so into the game tonight so into the huddles talking to guys being vocal on the court that shows you the investment that shows you how much he cares about this this team

Understanding like the message out of the All-Star break come on I didn’t tell him to send a text message him taking ownership of this team tonight him showing up and saying okay I’m going to do what MVPs do I’m I’m going to help lead us to a win because we’ve lost two

Games in a row with seven eight games so it speaks to his maturity his leadership his uh accountability ownership everything that you would apply to truly great players over the last 10 years you’ve seen them Joker play as much as anybody he still capable of surprising

You of anything he does yeah I mean and that that’s one of my challenges is that um for this team for nicoa for Jamal for any of our guys never to take them for granted know really it’s like I I I don’t take my job for granted during the

National anthem every night I always think about cherish and savor every moment in the NBA Chuck Daly passed that along to my father passed along to me I am a really lucky guy to coach this team for nine years now and and you know Nia you we’ve come to expect greatness every

Night sure but within that greatness he’ll do things whether it’s the behind the back pass whether it’s you know just the moves he makes in the post the finishing finding pton Watson along the Baseline as he’s being double teamed first half we play a lot of offense him

Catching the ball in the elbow moved behind it got whatever he wanted second half we put him more in the post got where whatever he wanted so his ability to control the game is is second to none and uh I will never ever ever take Nicole for granted is hot shooting or

Even cold shooting contagious well last two games was contagious we definitely somebody you know uh passed a bug around the room but um I think it can be contagious I I think there can definitely be a hey man we’re we’re we’re having one tonight everybody’s feeling good and now

Everybody’s looking to make that next play to get the other guy an open shot and uh so I think it can be contagious just but more importantly what I love about is that it keeps great energy in the ball I mean when that ball is flying around like that we become really hard

To guard like any other team you know think about Golden State when they were in their Prime I mean they were making 25 threes a night it damn seem like and everybody’s a part of that and that’s a fun way to play uh and that’s what it seemed like

Tonight you talk about celebrating the little things along the way you guys officially CL a playoff spot but you also tie Doug moo for most wins Reg season and playoffs combined I just what are those two little Milestones one’s a little bigger than the other one but

What do those mean to you yeah I mean the the playoff thing and you’re right like it’s what six years in a row now uh which you know is great I don’t know I don’t think anybody else in the west has come close to that and maybe a few teams

Out east have have accomplished that so to be a playoff team six years in a row that that’s sustained success you know I mean which is which is what you all strive for uh um but as I told our players like that’s cool six years in a

Row but like that wasn’t a goal this year to make the playoffs you know we have a bullseye in our back we’re the reigning world Champs and so that’s what our goal is is to repeat and it’s going to be a hell hell of a challenge but

We’re all signed up for that um but and that’s more important than anything individually whether it’s myself Nia Jamal any of our players Doug MO is is the greatest coach in nugget history there’s a reason that his name is up in the rafters he won his players

Loved him and everybody else loved him so uh I I don’t get caught up in that I just want to help lead this team with seven games to go so we can go into that postseason wins losses but playing the right way you know that that’s what I

Really care about more than anything Scott uh I was just going to ask you I’ll go funny down toad of basketball what’s Callin GES would you call that D well we just have the debate in the locker room and uh somebody said it’s a kcp dunk uh but I asked Colin straight

Up and Colin says no man that’s not a dunk so I think he’s maybe thinks he has a little bit more bounce in those legs than we all think he does but um it’s always great when guys like Colin Jaylen picket knocks down two threes Hunter Tyson whose nickname is I’ve never seen

A shot I don’t like those guys come in the game and they they get a chance to play man they work so hard and the chances aren’t always given to them uh but you know I I love seeing the way all of our guys play tonight including the

Guys that closed that game out out because they deserve success as well cuz they work very hard so just for the record you think he sorry that was the last [Applause] question

Hear what Coach Malone had to say after the home win against the Cavs 🎙

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Coach Malone Full Post Game Press Conference vs. Cavaliers 🎙