There is not any love misplaced between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers as their first-round sequence continues Saturday evening with Sport 4 (8:30 EST on ABC).
It has been a wholly one-sided matchup in recent times — the Nuggets are driving an 11-game win streak in opposition to the Lakers. Denver’s win streak additionally contains seven straight within the playoffs, although that complete is much from the longest playoff dropping streak in opposition to a single crew up to now 20 years.
Regardless that they confronted off within the 2020 Western Convention finals, the dangerous blood between the Nuggets and Lakers started in final yr’s Western Convention finals, and carried over into the offseason.
This is a timeline of the trash-talking between Denver and Los Angeles.
‘Would quite be up 1-0 than down 0-1’
In Sport 1 of the 2023 Western Convention finals, the Nuggets defeated the Lakers 132-126, however the discussions after the sport irked Denver head coach Michael Malone.
Los Angeles determined to place Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic within the second half of Sport 1, an adjustment that boosted confidence for the Lakers. Nevertheless, in between Video games 1 and a pair of, Malone downplayed the transfer.
“A lot [is being] fabricated from them placing Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic,” he mentioned. “Like we’ve got by no means seen that earlier than.”
Malone went even additional and spoke in regards to the narrative that the Lakers had momentum heading into the following sport due to the tweak.
“There’s this sort of dialogue being primarily based [on that] despite the fact that the Lakers misplaced, they’re strolling out of right here, they suppose they have one thing,” he mentioned. “I am going to wager you each crimson penny I’ve that [Lakers coach] Darvin Ham would quite be up 1-0 than down 0-1.”
‘So, you set that in your pipe, you smoke it’
Malone’s feedback about Hachimura did not cease as soon as Sport 2 arrived.
The top coach continued to assault the adjustment made by the Lakers, saying it is the primary time he is been up 1-0 and “the sequence is over in everyone’s thoughts as a result of they put Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic for six possessions.”
Jokic had a robust Sport 2, recording 23 factors, 17 rebounds and 12 assists within the win. It was the two-time MVP’s thirteenth playoff triple-double — the third most of all time.
However, Malone did not suppose his star acquired sufficient credit score nationally. In his thoughts, the dialog, particularly after Sport 1, nonetheless centered on the Lakers.
“What he is doing is simply unimaginable, however the narrative wasn’t in regards to the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola,” Malone mentioned. “The narrative was in regards to the Lakers and their changes. So you set that in your pipe, you smoke it, you come again and you realize what, we will go up 2-0.”
“The nationwide narrative [after Game 1] was that the Lakers had been fantastic. … Nobody talked about Nikola simply had a historic efficiency. … The narrative wasn’t in regards to the Nuggets.”
– Nuggets HC Michael Malone pic.twitter.com/zUSjByjZMf
— NBA TV (@NBATV) Might 19, 2023
He took extra pictures on the Lakers when the Nuggets superior to the Finals. He mentioned that if anyone was speaking about Los Angeles being within the NBA Finals, “that is on them.”
“They’ve gone fishing. We’re nonetheless enjoying,” Malone mentioned.
‘I am fascinated about retiring’
The Lakers had been nonetheless prime of thoughts within the days after the Nuggets’ championship.
Throughout his look on the “Pat McAfee Present” the day after Denver clinched the title, Malone poked enjoyable at LeBron James’ feedback that he would possibly think about retirement. Malone’s feedback prompted a response from James, who posted on Instagram the day after the championship parade that he’s “the SUN.”
Whereas the Nuggets took the stage at their parade, the crew’s TV reporter and host Vic Lombardi proclaimed Malone because the “Lakers’ daddy.”
“He got here into this world because the son of a coach, however in these playoffs, he grew to become the Lakers’ daddy,” Lombardi mentioned.
Malone made noise through the parade too, carrying a T-shirt together with his “put it in your pipe” quote.
Confirmed: Parade prepared 😤 pic.twitter.com/Iho6GBFSiu
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) June 15, 2023
‘This s— ain’t over’
Ham caught wind of the “Lakers’ daddy” moniker, making his ideas identified when Malone’s title got here up whereas on the “This League Uncut” podcast in July 2023.
“Oh, wow. You are going to convey up Cash Mike, man? The Lakers’ daddy? That is what they name him now? The Lakers’ daddy?” Ham mentioned. “God bless his soul. This s— ain’t over. God bless his soul.”
‘We won’t wait’
When media day for the 2023-24 season got here round, the Lakers took their time to answer the Nuggets’ feedback.
Anthony Davis known as the trash speak motivational, revealing that he and James had conversations about it through the offseason.
“There was simply a lot of that happening it was like, ‘All proper, we get it, y’all received,’ he mentioned. “However me and Bron had some conversations like, ‘We won’t wait [to play them again.]'”
Austin Reaves went a step additional, saying after the Lakers’ first follow of coaching camp that not directly or not, “everyone is aware of” Denver’s speak was pointed at them.
With a matchup in opposition to the Nuggets on opening evening, Reaves mentioned it added one thing further to the sport.
“You see stuff,” Reaves mentioned. “Me, personally, I strive my greatest to remain off of social media and never take a look at all that stuff. To me, I am going play each sport the way in which I’ll go play the primary sport in opposition to them. However I believe it provides just a little little bit of motivation to go play very well. That is actually it.”
Nevertheless, throughout Denver’s coaching camp, Malone downplayed the offseason chatter and mentioned that he isn’t residing “4 months in the past,” whereas additionally noting he has large respect for the Lakers and Ham.
“This can be a new season, a brand new problem, and it was a hell of a sequence in opposition to them. I do know it was a 4-0 sweep, however all these video games appeared like they went all the way down to the wire … However yeah, I do not take heed to any of that stuff. I do not know what they’re saying, and if we’re on their minds, then I assume that is on them,” he mentioned.
