The Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, however simply barely.
The Nuggets walked away with a 131-126 victory over the Lakers, however LA was with out Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, and extra.
Many individuals thought the Nuggets would sail to a win, however they didn’t.
Due to that, head coach Michael Malone wasn’t too happy together with his staff’s output and a post-game gesture confirmed that.
Based on a video shared by Oh No He Didn’t, per Legion Hoops, Malone picked up the printed field rating, crumpled it up, and tossed it apart earlier than talking with the press.
“This isn’t a magnificence pageant. We don’t get rated on our wins. It’s a win,” Malone mentioned.
Michael Malone crumbled up the field rating after Lakers-Nuggets 💀
“This isn’t a magnificence pageant. We don’t get rated on our wins, it’s a win.”
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)pic.twitter.com/1X9tnSGj1Q
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 15, 2025
Malone is appropriate when he says a win is a win however this was an alarming one for the Nuggets.
It was assumed they’d haven’t any issues in opposition to the Lakers as a result of the staff was missing its two celebrity scorers and most defensive assist.
However the Lakers got here out of the gate sturdy and performed an important sport from starting to finish.
Austin Reaves was a sensational staff chief and Dalton Knecht had considered one of his greatest video games but.
In the meantime, Denver’s protection was missing they usually have been in a position to get outplayed many occasions.
The truth is, there was a stretch of the sport when the Lakers held a lead and appeared like they have been going to do the seemingly unattainable.
This win is a purple flag for Denver as a result of protection will probably be an enormous a part of the playoffs and in the event that they want to return to the Finals, they might want to work out tips on how to resolve their issues.
The Nuggets are nonetheless the second seed within the West and have a 43-24 report.
However this sport proves that something can occur and nobody will go straightforward on them.
They don’t need extra unhealthy nights like this, notably through the playoffs.
NEXT: Michael Malone Reveals What Is Distinctive About Nikola Jokic