Mike Malone: “We’re not Satisfied With Just Making the Playoffs”

After six long and frustrating years, the Denver Nuggets are in the NBA playoffs again. This became official last night in Boston, when Mike Malone’s crew defeated the Celtics at TD Garden with 114-105

It was a true competitive NBA game, which brought the feeling to all the spectators at the TD Garden that the playoffs already started.

The intensity of play on both ends of the court was high, in the opening three periods teams were very close, and the overall atmosphere was great.

“It’s a great feeling,” Denver coach said after the game about the fact that his team clinched a playoff berth. “Four years in the making. Two years in a row coming up just shy, one game short.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HFe2BJaP2s&t=86s

But Malone stated that his team isn’t satisfied with only reaching the postseason. According to Nuggets’ coach, his team wants to make huge noise in the playoffs, as they realized that they have enough potential to do so. He stated that there is a lot of work ahead of them and that the team is ready to embrace that.

“We still got a lot of work to do,” started 47-year old. “You know we’re not just satisfied with just making the playoffs. I think we realized early on this season we had a chance to be a special team, and that remains the case.”

Denver really is a special team, and they showed that to the whole NBA. They have one of the most attractive styles of plays in the league and are an offensive-minded team whose ball movement is perfect.

And not only that, but they possess vast firepower, which can damage any defense in the league.

Kyrie Irving spoke about that after last night’s game saying that no matter the deficit they have, the Nuggets tend to play the same, and in no time, they can be back in the game.

“You gotta play well for 48 minutes against those guys,” Irving told the reporters. “They’ve come back from 18 down, 17 down. They keep firing.”

The celebration in the locker room explains many things and makes anybody understand the Nuggets better. The amount of joy and happiness seen last night really backs up the Malone’s claim that his team has something special, which separates Denver from other teams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O0590KQ1io

He tried to explain that this achievement isn’t just a product of players and himself and all the hard work they invested in it, but the whole organization of the Colorado-based franchise.

“It’s a credit to our staff, players, security guards, training staff, everybody,” Malone said. “We’re a very close group. … When you come to work every day with good people who share the same work ethic and the same common dream and have the patience to see it through, that’s so powerful.”

A win against the Celtics is even more valuable because of the Golden State’s defeat in San Antonio. The two sides are now leveled at the No.1 place of the Western Conference, and the Nuggets have a legit chance to finish first.

Although the schedule is not very good for them, Jokic and the boys are not going to back out from the race that is for sure.

Denver has three more games on their road trip throughout the East. They will meet with the Wizards, on Thursday, the Knicks one day later and go to Indiana on Sunday.

They have three supertough road games until the end of the season, all against Western Conference powerhouses, the Rockets, Thunder and finally the Warriors. Plus there are trips to Portland and Utah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQG_PmzxG_M&t=132s

So pretty much the Nuggets have the worst possible ending of the regular part of the season there is, but if they play as they did against the Celtics, they just might have a chance to finish first.

The second place is a reality, and the fans nor the players should be disappointed if they fail to finish ahead of Warriors.

But for a brief moment, the guys are relaxed. They have that one day to enjoy their success.

“It’s party time, man,” said coach Malone. “If you don’t celebrate it, we’ve worked too hard.”