“” It's not a beauty contest “, loose Michael Malone After having crushed the match sheet and throwing it in the trash. The Nugget Coach is not the most enthusiastic after the victory, more complicated than imagined, of his troop on the Lakers. Because the Californians had presented themselves without Luka Dovi and LeBron James.
The technician begins by listing everything that did not work. The lost battle in the rebounds in particular (39-47), including the 19 offensive sockets from their opponents who have generated 20 points. But also the 12 lost balloons that generated 19 points for visitors.
And then there is this missed match start where the Lakers completed the first quarter with 40 points on the clock (32-40). “” We tried to go smoothly, and they jumped on us, and that is the recipe for a disaster. We can't do that. We have to approach the match with a feeling of urgency “Asks the coach.
He speaks despite everything about a ” good victory “, Because his team was able to finish the meeting proper. “” We are led by three points at 52 seconds from the end. We finish with an 8-0 with a very good execution of shots at the end of the match. We made a few timely stops, but we have to give them credit. They played with their hearts », Praises Malone speaking of the Lakers.
A little ahead of the classification
LeBron James still blocked at the infirmary, the Nuggets knew that the Californians were not going to appear in the Rockies. “” We spent the whole day saying that this match had nothing to do with those who played for them “, Ensures Malone, for whom his players had to focus on themselves.
“” Because there are only 16 games left, and when you watch the ranking, and you have a advance match on the Lakers in the standings, and you are equal to 1-1 (Editor's note: in direct duels, before the match of this night), It doesn't matter who plays for whom “Continues the coach whose” tiebreaker “is now favorable to his team.
With 43 victories for 24 defeats, the Nuggets, 2nd to the west, have two games ahead of their evening opponents (40V-25D). So a good operation, even if the coach is more convinced by the result than the content of the match.
“” We have to find a way to start playing a more consistent basketball, a better defense throughout the match, so if we look beyond them, I don't know … it's no longer a question of finding a way to start the match with much more emergency “, Applies Malone, whose training receives Wizards next night, before an important” road trip “among three of their pursuers (Warriors, Lakers and Rockets).
