Nuggets find new rhythm in first game without Malone
A day after the Denver Nuggets fired head coach Michael Malone, they took the court against the Sacramento Kings ending a four game losing streak and handing interim coach David Adelman his first win.
Nikola Jokić earned his 32nd triple-double of the season with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists en route to a 124-116 win. The Nuggets played with a different level of effort in their first game without Malone at the helm.
"In my country, if someone gets fired, probably you're next," Jokić said of the changes made. "I think it definitely changed something to get the reaction of what they wanted."
In the three games Jokić played in during the four game skid, the Serb was a rebound short of having a triple-double in all three losses. The difference in the win against the Kings was that Jokić had support.
All five starters were in double digits for the first time since March 24. Christian Braun was the leading scorer with 25 points and Jalen Pickett scored a career-high 18 points. This was also the first game since Dec. 5 where Russell Westbrook played less than 20 minutes. The Nuggets are still without Jamal Murray.
Jokić, known for not showing “passion”, was seen passionately coaching up the squad in moments on the bench, showing that the firings might have lit a fire with the team.
“I think Josh [Kronke] got the response that he wanted,” Jokić said post game. “People say we are vulnerable, but the beast is always most dangerous when they’re vulnerable. So maybe he woke up the beast.”
The Nuggets are only two games away from the playoffs and have to face two playoff teams to get there. They face off against the current No. 6 seed Memphis Grizzlies Friday and the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets.
“We got two games left,” interim coach David Adelman said after his first win. “I’m sure it’s a fun story and everything, but that’s not the story. The story is the Nuggets need to win. And we need to win Friday…and we got to bring it Sunday.
Denver plays their final home game of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. Tip-off from Ball Arena is set for 7 p.m. MT.