The Denver Nuggets are slumping and head coach Michael Malone has seen sufficient.
Denver misplaced its fourth sport in a row Tuesday night time, falling to the Toronto Raptors, 125-110.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone exits the sector flooring after dropping to the Chicago Bulls 117-96 win at Ball Area in Denver on March 8, 2023. (Aaron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Publish by way of Getty Pictures)
It’s the longest dropping streak of the season for the Nuggets, coming at an inopportune time with the NBA Playoffs proper across the nook.
And whereas Denver nonetheless holds a four-game lead for first place within the Western Conference, Malone used the dropping streak to name out his crew.
“Proper now we’re simply in chill mode, and you may’t be in chill mode with 13 video games to go within the season,” Malone stated. “We’ve acquired to attempt to discover a solution to get our swagger again.”
“Perhaps we’ve gotten a little bit tender with success,” Malone stated. “We’ve been on cruise management for therefore lengthy, No. 1 within the West since like Dec. 15. I simply instructed our gamers we’ve gotten away from who we’re.”
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone in the course of the Brooklyn Nets sport, Sunday, March 12, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photograph/David Zalubowski)
Denver has allowed no less than 120 factors in three of the 4 losses, with just one loss coming to a crew with a document above .500 on the season.
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Toronto led your complete means Tuesday night time, scoring 49 factors within the first quarter and holding a lead of 24 within the third.
Denver lower the result in simply six getting into the fourth quarter, however the Nuggets were unable to finish the comeback.
“While you expend a lot power getting again within the sport you don’t have anything left to complete,” Malone stated.
Denver has held the one-seed within the West for many of the season as the remainder of the convention has struggled.
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Nikola Jokic has been unimaginable, making an attempt to turn out to be the primary heart to common a triple-double for the season as he tries for his third straight MVP award.
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets goes to the online round O.G. Anunoby of the Raptors at Scotiabank Area on March 14, 2023, in Toronto, Canada. (Cole Burston/Getty Pictures)
However the Nuggets could also be dealing with essentially the most strain of any crew within the convention heading into the postseason.
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Denver has been one of many prime regular-season groups since 2018 however has solely superior to the Western Conference Finals as soon as, dropping to the LA Lakers within the Orlando bubble in 2020.
But when the Nuggets fall flat as soon as once more within the playoffs, the murmurs will solely develop louder that that is merely a regular-season crew with a star participant that may’t get it performed when it issues, whatever the stats he places up.
The Related Press contributed to this report
