Michael Malone was pretty clear on what he wants from his players as the Nuggets lost the home-court advantage to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
The veteran coach wants his players to go to Florida for Games 3 and 4 this week and immediately re-claim the home-court advantage.
“Our objective now is to find a way to go down to Miami and steal one back … Which is what we’re gonna do because we’re going to play harder than them and be more disciplined than them,” Michael Malone told his players afterwards.
The Miami Heat endured a 41-point performance by Nikola Jokic and stunned the Denver Nuggets (111-108) to even the NBA Finals (1-1).
The Heat made a great start (21-10), but had to recover by double-digt deficits twice in the game to claim a crucial road win and “steal” the home-court advantage. Miami led by 11 late in the fourth (104-93, 107-96) and outscored its opponents 36-25 to cruise seal the deal.
Nikola Jokic went for 41 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, on 16/28 shooting, but this was not enough for Denver, which missed the opportunity to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
Even if they lose both games in Miami, the Nuggets will have a chance to stay alive in the series, with Game 5 taking place in Denver on Monday, June 12.
