By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Denver Nuggets became the only team to come back from 1-3 deficits twice in the same playoffs season by beating both the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers to make the Western Conference finals.
Since the Nuggets have absolutely thrived under pressure with a 6-0 record in “must-do” situations, coach Mike Malone has been thinking that beginning the series vs. the Los Angeles down 1-3 may work just fine for his team.
“We actually did petition the league to see if we can just get right to it and start 3-1 down — save everybody a lot of time and catch up to the Eastern Conference (series). They shut that down,” Malone joked in a presser ahead of Friday’s (18/9) Game 1 against the Lakers.
Eliminating the Clippers in an impressive fashion and with multiple comebacks was impressive but not enough. Malone feels that the series titillated the appetite of his players who are now hungry for more.
” I don’t think our guys are satisfied,” Malone said. “That’s going to be the greatest challenge tomorrow, can we match the intensity. I thought in Game 1 against the Clippers we did it for a quarter and a half, couldn’t sustain it. I think we were just gassed.”
Nikola Jokic believes that the Lakers have done their homework over the Nuggets’ ability to upset and will be extra prepared to not become their next victim.
“I think they’re really focused,” Jokic said. “You can just see how they’re playing. Even the Portland series, the Houston series, they are really locked in. They will not take us for granted. We kind of surprised the Clippers. Probably they don’t want to make that happen to them, so I think they’re going to be really focused and really locked in.”
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