Despite having the reigning MVP on the roster and a reputable record on the West, the Denver Nuggets have a regrettable stat. They are 0-2 against the last-seeding Wizards. Last night, Jordon Poole pulled off a late-game flurry to silence the Mile-High City crowd. On the other hand, Nuggets coach Michael Malone helplessly pointed out the team’s chronic missteps and delivered a stern locker room message.

In short, the Nuggets are living dangerously. Looking at the competition in the West, Nikola Jokic & Co. could drop below the 6th spot despite standing in the third seed. Malone highlighted that the team can evade the situation if they can take care of one glaring mistake. “If you’re going to be a team, that’s going to try to stay out of that Play-in and be relevant, we got to start playing some defense,” said Coach at the post-game presser. 

Moreover, it wasn’t a gentle heads up to his players but a frustrated outcry, as he said, “I’m saying the same things over and over and over again.” Speaking of the 123-126 loss, he blamed it completely on the team’s defensive efforts and also pointed out that the team’s defense has significantly diminished since the All-Star break. Michael Malone added, “We’re fooling ourselves if we think we can just show up and not play any defense.” 

Notably, the Nuggets were lethal on the offensive end, with four players scoring above 20 points. But defensively, they let the Wizards express themselves. Especially, Jordan Poole, who had a quiet night, turned up the heat, dropping 14 points in the last 5 minutes. It included a game-winning three-pointer with 2 seconds remaining on the clock.

Speaking of the effort, the 53-year-old added, “I don’t care who you are playing. The Thunder, the Wizards. You got to find a way to bring some defense and we have not been doing so.” Moreover, he didn’t stop at that. Malone dropped a stern locker room message for the team.

Michael Malone’s locker room message after the Wizards’ loss

After an embarrassing 1-2 home stretch, the Nuggets have a 4-game road trip. Notably, it would’ve been a 0-3 run, as the in-experienced Lakers nearly missed a thriller win the day before. Anyway, going ahead, the Nuggets have 14 games left in the tank and six teams are behind their tail for the #2 spot. A major slip-up would push them into the Play-in contention.  

Amid this situation, Michael Malone sent a message to his players before they set out on the road trip. He said, “When you go home and pack tonight, and you think about this upcoming road trip. You understand with 14 games to go, and the teams that were playing and competing against.” 

No, Malone didn’t just ask his players to think about the teams, but also rectify some of their repeated blunders. “We got to stop turning the ball over. We got to start rebounding, I mean, it’s game 67 and I’ve been saying the same things the whole year,” said Malone. Moreover, he hoped the team would turn it around in the next game. 

Unfortunately, it isn’t a cakewalk for the Nuggets, as they take on the thriving Golden State Warriors on Monday. Will the Nuggets come out on top? Let us know in the comments below.