DENVER (AP) — Michael Malone took a pragmatic stance on his team's current nine-game winning streak.
“It beats the alternative,” the Denver Nuggets coach said.
Can't argue there as Malone stands on the brink of a memorable career moment.
For all that Malone, the franchise's all-time winningest coach, has accomplished over his 10 seasons in Denver — namely, winning an NBA title in 2023 — his Nikola Jokic-led squads have never won 10 in a row. All that stands in the way is LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. Denver hasn't lost at home to the Lakers since April 10, 2022.
“It’s really important to stack wins. That’s the most important thing,” Malone said after a 129-115 win over Charlotte on Thursday. “Whether you played great or you didn’t play great, we won. But there’s a lot to clean up."
Should Denver emerge victorious Saturday, it would mark the seventh 10-game win streak in franchise history. The team record is 15 by the 2012-13 Nuggets who were led by coach George Karl.
The current streak began on the heels of a three-game skid and with a 137-134 win over the 76ers in Philadelphia on Jan. 31. It's carried up to and now through the All-Star break thanks to a sluggish win over a Hornets team playing without LaMelo Ball. Of the nine straight wins, none have come against teams currently in the top six of their conference.
“We had a little bit luck with the schedule,” said Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP who's in the midst of one of his finest seasons, averaging 29.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists. “The schedule was on our side.”
They’ve weathered injuries, too, but saw Russell Westbrook (hamstring), Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring) and Aaron Gordon (calf) return against the Hornets.
Know how much they converse about the streak?
“Not at all,” Gordon said. “We just talk about playing a good brand of basketball and playing the right way — playing smart.
"You want to be playing your best basketball in April, May and June, and so now’s the time to make that climb.”
Jamal Murray echoed that thought. Murray has certainly found his shooting groove, going for 55 points in a win over Portland before the break and 34 against the Hornets right after the layoff.
“It’s not going to come down to X's and O's,” said Murray, whose team currently resides in second place in the Western Conference, trailing Oklahoma City by eight games. “It’s just who’s more ready to play and who wants to win more. That’s what I think it comes down to. I like the motivation of the team to try and get that one seed.”
Jokic is coming off a game against Charlotte in which he attempted a career-high 14 3-pointers. As a team, the Nuggets launched 43. That’s simply because the Hornets were almost daring Jokic & Co. to beat them from outside. Jokic made six 3-pointers and his teammates 13.
“I will probably guard myself that way, too,” Jokic said. “That’s just my opinion."
He’s hitting a career-best 44.9% from behind the 3-point line. But inquire about what he changed on his long-range shot and he'll turn secretive: “I’m not going to tell you guys,” he said.
After the Hornets game, the conversation steered toward the shade of Jokic’s suit — somewhere between dark apricot, plum and burgundy — before centering on Denver’s current win streak.
On the shade of his suit, he offered a casual shrug. On the streak, he pointed out the importance of a strong sprint to the finish.
“It’s always important to play good this time of year because you can build on it,” Jokic said. “We are looking forward to even playing better.”
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Pat Graham, The Associated Press
