The Denver Nuggets were picked by plenty of people to repeat as NBA champs this season, but they’re now in an 0-2 hole in the second round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
They have been held under 100 points in both games played so far, and they have looked more flustered and out of character than they have been in quite some time.
The thing Denver has going in their favor is that they have been up against it before during the playoffs in the recent past.
They overcame not one but two 3-1 series deficits during the 2020 playoffs, and it was one thing had coach Michael Malone reminded everyone of, per Harrison Wind.
Michael Malone: "33 teams have come back from 0-2. Five or six teams have done that after losing the first two at home."
"We were down twice in the bubble 3-1." pic.twitter.com/s5Wt6opRA1
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) May 8, 2024
While the Nuggets are a much better team than they were in 2020, several core members remain from that team, including Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr.
Malone also pointed out all the teams that have come back to win a playoff series after losing the first two games, and the fact that Reggie Jackson, a reserve guard on the Nuggets, was a member of one of those teams.
When Jackson was a rookie, his Oklahoma City Thunder lost the first two games of the Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, a team that had previously won four NBA championships, only to win the next four contests.
For the Nuggets to overcome this 0-2 deficit, they will have to figure out Minnesota’s defense, which is the best in basketball and has prevented them from establishing any sustained rhythm or pace.
But perhaps all they have to do is reach into their recent past in order to find the requisite qualities to come back and win this series.
The post Michael Malone Reveals What He Told His Team About Being Down 0-2 appeared first on The Cold Wire.
