By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The feeling of maybe deserving better is going around in the Denver Nuggets camp after being eliminated from the 2020 NBA Playoffs on Saturday. Despite not achieving the ultimate goal, they are proud of their accomplishments and looking to build on gained experience moving forward to the next season.
“We will remember this run our whole life,” pointed out Nikola Jokic, “We had a very good group of guys with a lot of fight in us. We won six elimination games and did not quit today, but they were better and won the game. Everybody on their team stepped up.”
The Nuggets won all of their six elimination games up to Game 5 of the Western Conference finals best-of-seven series. The Los Angeles Lakers advanced to the postseason finals of the Orlando bubble.
“What more can you ask from a group? More commitment, sacrifice?” wondered head coach Michael Malone, “Just everything the team went through the last 82 days, the history that we made, the adversity we faced and never ran from it but embraced it and owned it at times. I couldn’t be more proud. My message to my guys is to remember this feeling. All great teams and champions have to go through the pains of losing.”
The West Finals might have been closer than the 4-1 suggests, estimated Malone. Anthony Davis sealing Game 2 as time ran out got the series to 2-0 instead of 1-1.
“We lost at the buzzer and won the next game,” recalled the Joker, “We made the series interesting.”
“We fought and did not quit, not even today,” he added moving on to the next season, “That’s going to be our mentality, our focus in the next years. To not quit, fight, make the effort and give ourselves the chance to win the game.”
Disappointed Jamal Murray confirmed to be dealing with a right knee contusion preventing him from competing at his best in Game 5.
“I wish things went differently, but I am proud of our guys and everything that we accomplished,” he said, “It’s not the end-goal. We will try to come back stronger next year.”
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