At the start of the postseason, the Denver Nuggets were seen as a favorite to win the NBA title for a second straight year. Now, they find themselves down 0-2 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Following their second loss, they coach touched on how to overcome such an obstacle.
When asked about their current situation, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone is taking things one game at a time. He also preached to them that teams have passed have come back from the hole they are currently in. For Malone, having the proper mindset is key moving forward.
"Is it possible? Yes," Malone said. "History tells us its possible. You have to participate in your own recovery. Just because it's been done before doesn't mean we're going to do it. Only if we have the requisite mindset. That's what the biggest thing is."
The biggest uphill battle for the Denver Nuggets is they have to come back on the road. Going into a crazed Minnesota environment to claw back into the series will be no small feet. However, the defending champs don't have much of an option at this point.
Denver will take on Anthony Edwards and company on Friday night in Game 3.
Michael Malone didn't like Denver Nuggets' attitude following Game 2 loss
As a team that has regularly been in the playoffs in recent history, the Denver Nuggets understand that the postseason is full of ups and downs. That said, Michael Malone was not pleased with his team's attitude following their most recent loss.
After practice on Wednesday, Malone spoke on what he saw from the group after their Game 2 loss. He feels the team is starting to fall off an separate, when now is the time they should be coming together.
"I was probably more disappointed with our reaction to the adversity," Malone said. "I had never seen that in my nine years. First time in the last six years of making the playoffs."
"As things got tough, we just kind of fell apart and kind of separated. As we all know, you can't do that. That's when you need to come together, help each other and support each other."
There are two keys for the Denver Nuggets as they look to battle back from down 0-2. The first is to get Jamal Murray going offensively. He is their top scoring option behind Nikola Jokic, but he has struggled to get things going against the Timberwolves defense. In Game 2, Murray finished with just eight points on 3-for-18 shooting.
Denver's other focus needs to be on slowing down Anthony Edwards. He has been one of the NBA's top playoff performance, most recently having a 43-point outburst in Game 1. If the Nuggets want any shot at coming back in the series, they need to contain the emerging superstar.
