The shock dismissal of Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone in early April has led to a change in “energy” around the team, Serbian superstar Nikola Jokić admitted after a 120-101 Game 7 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.
Malone led the team to an NBA title two seasons ago but was on a four-game losing streak when he, along with general manager Calvin Booth, was fired by Nuggets vice chairman Josh Kroenke on April 8.
Since then, with Malone’s long-time assistant coach David Adelman at the helm, the team has gone on to win its next four games, secure home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, and progress to the second round with Saturday’s victory.
“I think the owner … he wanted to change something to change the energy, and probably he did,” Jokić told reporters after the game. “He got the result that he was looking for.”
The Nuggets have been much improved since Adelman took charge and Saturday’s victory was their most impressive yet – the Clippers had won 18 of their last 21 games in the regular season and entered the series as favorites, but trailed by 35 points at one point in a Game 7 which cut short their season earlier than many had hoped.
Six Denver players contributed 15 points or more, becoming the first team in NBA history to do so in a Game 7 win.
Aaron Gordon led the scoring with 22 points, four rebounds and five assists. Christian Braun added 21 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Jokić contributed 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Kawhi Leonard had 22 points, five rebounds and two assists for the Clippers, while James Harden was limited to just seven points on 2-of-8 shooting thanks to some excellent defense by Christian Braun.
“The rebounding and defense was amazing,” said Jokić. “We had a lot of opportunities to run and a lot of guys stepped up and a lot of guys made baskets.”
The victory will go some way to avenging the memory of Denver’s Game 7 exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves in last year’s second round, in which it blew a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter.
The Nuggets’ opponent in this year’s second round is the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder, which went 68-14 in the regular season and will be well-rested after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.
The matchup will pitch Jokić against his main regular season MVP rival, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but the Serbian told reporters that was the last thing on his mind, preferring to focus on the Thunder’s collective ability.
“They’re a team that is always pushing the pace, who plays with a lot of energy … A lot of deflections, a lot of steals, attacking the glass,” he said. “They’re the number one seed for a reason.”
The series begins in Oklahoma on Monday night.
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