DENVER — On the best way to their NBA championship final season, the Denver Nuggets have been additionally extensively renown for having arguably the very best beginning 5 in basketball.
Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch stated as a lot earlier than his group’s 106-99 Recreation 1 victory Saturday, calling the Nuggets’ first unit “most likely probably the most full and complementary beginning 5 within the league.”
However Denver’s starters have not been getting off to nice begins this postseason, and Nuggets coach Michael Malone stated that should change.
“We have now to do a greater job, our starters specifically, need to do a greater job of being able to play and setting the tone early,” Malone stated after the Nuggets’ movie session on Sunday. “What are we ready for? I imply, now we’re down 0-1, what are you ready for?”
Within the Nuggets’ first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, they have been outscored within the first quarter in 4 of the 5 video games and have been minus-23 within the quarter general for the collection.
Within the first quarter of Recreation 1 to start out their second-round collection in opposition to Minnesota, the Nuggets truly outscored the Wolves 25-23, however solely after falling behind 18-4 and needing to expend power to rally again into it.
“I talked to our gamers this morning about how for 5 video games in opposition to the Lakers, we have been down [virtually] each first quarter,” Malone stated. “So, do I imagine that our guys are absolutely prepared to present no matter it takes to attempt to defend our title? After all I do. However in some unspecified time in the future, man, you bought to cease doing the identical factor.”
One of many Nuggets who received off to an underwhelming begin in opposition to Minnesota was level guard Jamal Murray. After coming into the sport questionable due to a left calf pressure that he suffered in opposition to the Lakers, Murray was scoreless within the first half, going 0-for-5.
When requested what the Wolves did to lock him up within the early going, Murray replied, “Nothing, I have been scoreless loads of instances earlier than.”
He completed with 17 factors — taking pictures 6-for-9 within the second half — and performed 34 minutes.
“I am good,” Murray stated when requested about his well being. “How [many] minutes did I play? It was ok.”
Because the questions continued about his calf damage, Murray refused to acknowledge any limitation.
“I am not going to make no excuses, bro,” Murray stated. “All people has received nagging accidents. All people is taking part in via one thing at this level of the season. My calf is not any totally different than anyone else on the group or within the league, truthfully. Clearly, it sucks, but it surely’s not one thing that I get pleasure from speaking about as a part of the loss.
“It’ll be part of [the playoff run], and I’ve accepted that and there is counters for the whole lot. So I simply received to maintain adjusting, we received to maintain adjusting and discover methods to get it carried out. I do not know, man. The calf is no matter it’s.”
The Nuggets are itemizing Murray as questionable for Recreation 2.
Final spring, the Nuggets by no means trailed in a collection, and so they did not lose a house recreation till the NBA Finals. Now they’re down after gifting away home-court benefit to open up the convention semifinals.
“This 12 months is totally different,” Malone stated. “It is a totally different group. It is a totally different setup. And now it is a new problem. So let’s embrace that.
“We’re down. We did not need to be, however we’re. So let’s struggle like hell tomorrow evening and go away all of it on the market.”
