News Nuggets Team Notes

[Denver Nuggets]

Michael Malone Reveals What Is Unique About Nikola Jokic

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

There is no doubt that Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is one of the most talented NBA stars in the world.

Everyone, including his head coach, believes that.

Speaking about Jokic on Monday night after an important win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Michael Malone opened up about just how special and smart Jokic is.

“I don’t think people truly understand the IQ that he has… a brilliant person, a brilliant mind,” Malone said, per NBA on X.

"I don't think people truly understand the IQ that he has… a brilliant person, a brilliant mind."

Coach Malone with high praise for Jokić

https://t.co/ecf2EBZ1S8 pic.twitter.com/1F8dq5xZkh

— NBA (@NBA) March 11, 2025

Malone said that Jokic is the definition of a high basketball IQ.

He can read the floor, his teammates, and his opponents in real-time and can make split-second decisions that carry the Nuggets.

Unlike other basketball players, Jokic doesn’t have to re-watch footage of games because he is so in tune with the moment.

He is also one of the most impressive passers the league has seen in years.

It’s almost as if he has eyes in the back of his head and is able to find his fellow Nuggets players with a sixth sense.

Jokic is a marvel to watch and he plays in ways that the league rarely sees.

Perhaps one of the most amazing things about him is that he is seemingly getting better.

His season average of 28.9 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 10.5 assists is actually better than last year when he won his third MVP trophy.

He may not earn that award again this year but he is still putting up a masterclass season that will be remembered for years to come.

Like just about everyone else, Malone is astonished by what he’s seen from Jokic and is eager to witness more.

The post Michael Malone Reveals What Is Unique About Nikola Jokic appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/michael-malone-reveals-what-is-unique-about-nikola-jokic/

 

[Denver Nuggets]

Nikola Jokic Gets Honest About MVP Race

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

The Denver Nuggets got their revenge game on Monday night, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 140-127 behind yet another explosive effort from Nikola Jokic.

Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are in a fierce fight for this season’s MVP and Jokic spoke about that after the game.

Talking to Tim MacMahon, Jokic was honest about the battle for Most Valuable Player and opened up about how well he is playing.

“I will say that I think I’m playing the best basketball of my life, so if that’s enough, that’s enough… If not, [Shai] deserves it. He’s really amazing,” Jokic said, per Legion Hoops.

Nikola Jokic on the MVP race:

“I will say that I think I'm playing the best basketball of my life, so if that's enough, that's enough… If not, [Shai] deserves it. He's really amazing.”

(via @espn_macmahon) pic.twitter.com/z23EIq0B8F

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 11, 2025

During Monday’s game, Jokic posted 35 points, 18 rebounds, and eight assists, which goes in line with his season average of 28.9 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 10.5 assists on 57.7 percent from the floor.

He was once again the leading scorer for his team, but just barely.

Jamal Murray put up 34 points in the win.

For the last few months, the race between Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander has been incredibly tight but lately, people have felt the Thunder star has the advantage.

That is due to a few factors, including the success of his team, his age, and the fact that Jokic has already won the award multiple times.

But if Jokic continues to have games like this, he could sneak past Gilgeous-Alexander and claim his fourth MVP.

The bigger question is which of these players will make it to the NBA Finals.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s team is the best in the West but Jokic’s has more experience so there is a chance they could surprise everyone and make another run at a championship in a few months.

The post Nikola Jokic Gets Honest About MVP Race appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/nikola-jokic-gets-honest-about-mvp-race/

 

[Denver Nuggets]

Michael Malone Is Going Viral For Actions After Lakers Game

(Photo by Tyler McFarland/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)

The Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, but just barely.

The Nuggets walked away with a 131-126 victory over the Lakers, but LA was without Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, and more.

Many people thought the Nuggets would sail to a win, but they didn’t.

Because of that, head coach Michael Malone wasn’t too pleased with his team’s output and a post-game gesture showed that.

According to a video shared by Oh No He Didn’t, per Legion Hoops, Malone picked up the printed box score, crumpled it up, and tossed it aside before speaking with the press.

“This isn’t a beauty pageant. We don’t get rated on our wins. It’s a win,” Malone said.

Michael Malone crumbled up the box score after Lakers-Nuggets

“This isn’t a beauty 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 correct when he says a win is a win but this was an alarming one for the Nuggets.

It was assumed they’d have no problems against the Lakers because the team was lacking its two superstar scorers and most defensive support.

But the Lakers came out of the gate strong and played a great game from beginning to end.

Austin Reaves was a sensational team leader and Dalton Knecht had one of his best games yet.

Meanwhile, Denver’s defense was lacking and they were able to get outplayed many times.

In fact, there was a stretch of the game when the Lakers held a lead and looked like they were going to do the seemingly impossible.

This win is a red flag for Denver because defense will be a huge part of the playoffs and if they wish to return to the Finals, they will need to figure out how to solve their problems.

The Nuggets are still the second seed in the West and have a 43-24 record.

But this game proves that anything can happen and no one will go easy on them.

They don’t want more bad nights like this, particularly during the playoffs.

The post Michael Malone Is Going Viral For Actions After Lakers Game appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/michael-malone-is-going-viral-for-actions-after-lakers-game/

 

[Denver Nuggets]

Nikola Jokic Has Honest Admission About His 61-Point Performance

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Nikola Jokic went wild on Tuesday night during the Denver Nuggets’ double overtime showdown against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He scored 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the game, achieving an amazing triple-double that had to be seen to be believed.

Following the game, Jokic talked about his performance and how it’s natural for him to play basketball this way.

“We are born for this. We train since we were little. My opinion is that horses are basically like athletes and they’re really similar to us,” Jokic said, per DNVR Nuggets.

He added, “They are born to run and we are born to play.”

Nikola Jokic after a career-high 61 points:

"We are born for this. We train since we were little. My opinion is that horses are basically like athletes and they're really similar to us."

"They are born to run and we are born to play." pic.twitter.com/tkIA4L4RzY

— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) April 2, 2025

Jokic was a powerhouse for his team during the game and was a massive offensive threat.

Once again, he showed why he is considered perhaps the best player in the NBA.

Not only did he create a ton of points for himself, but he also made a lot of opportunities for his teammates too and helped them score.

This season, Jokic is averaging 29.7 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.2 assists on 57.5 percent from the field.

Any other year, that would be more than enough for him to win another MVP trophy, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still considered the frontrunner for that prize.

Even though he might not be MVP again, Jokic is clearly one of the best men playing the game right now.

Many people have wondered how he can accomplish so much on the floor and how he can master the game so well.

Jokic feels that playing great basketball is what he is made to do, and that is why he is such a threat in the league.

The post Nikola Jokic Has Honest Admission About His 61-Point Performance appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/nikola-jokic-has-honest-admission-about-his-61-point-performance/

 

[Denver Nuggets]

Michael Malone Makes His Thoughts Clear About Russell Westbrook

(Photo by Tyler McFarland/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)

The Denver Nuggets were barely beaten by the Minnesota Timberwolves in double overtime Tuesday night, and many people are blaming Russell Westbrook.

Because of a few late-game decisions from Westbrook, including fouling the Timberwolves in the final seconds, the Nuggets lost.

Following the game, head coach Michael Malone spoke about Westbrook, calling him “a guy that hates to lose” and a “perfectionist.”

Malone knows some people will cast blame on Westbrook, but he stood up for his star.

“Knowing Russ the way I do, he’s probably going to put a lot of this on him. But we lost tonight, the Denver Nuggets. Not one player,” Malone said, per DNVR Nuggets.

Michael Malone: "I know who Russell Westbrook is. He's a guy that hates to lose…he's a perfectionist."

"Knowing Russ the way I do, he's probably going to put a lot of this on him. But we lost tonight, the Denver Nuggets. Not one player." pic.twitter.com/VyIhoX7mXJ

— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) April 2, 2025

This is a very painful loss for the Nuggets, and it would be easy to look at Westbrook’s decisions and claim he is the sole reason they were taken down.

But Malone has a point when he says that the entire team lost, not just one player.

If the game wasn’t so close, Westbrook’s mistakes wouldn’t have mattered as much.

Malone knows it wasn’t just one decision that led to this defeat and is attempting to protect Westbrook.

The Nuggets remain the third seed in the West, but the Los Angeles Lakers are right behind them, so every game matters at this point.

For the season, Westbrook is averaging 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game on 45.3 percent.

For the most part, fans are happy with what they have seen from the nine-time All-Star, although they accept he still makes mistakes at times.

For Tuesday’s game, Westbrook put up 12 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, which are good numbers, although most people will only pay attention to his final seconds of the game.

The post Michael Malone Makes His Thoughts Clear About Russell Westbrook appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/michael-malone-makes-his-thoughts-clear-about-russell-westbrook/

 

[Denver Nuggets]

Former Player Makes A Big Statement About Nikola Jokic

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Nikola Jokic left NBA fans in awe the other night as he put up 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a grueling double overtime game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It was an incredible performance, but not shocking because Jokic has repeatedly shown how extraordinary he is.

Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Antonio Daniels talked about Jokic and said there is no one like him.

“Every time he steps on the floor, it’s historic,” Daniels said, before explaining why he doesn’t get enough credit.

"Every time he steps on the floor, it's historic."@adaniels33 on the amazing play of Nikola Jokić.

Hear Antonio Daniels with @WorldWideWob weekdays from 1-4pm ET on NBA Radio! pic.twitter.com/2jbBL55A0B

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) April 3, 2025

Like everyone else, Daniels was floored by Jokic’s 61-point triple-double and said it isn’t receiving enough attention from the press.

That is partly because Jokic doesn’t do anything flashy, according to Daniels.

He agrees that the Nuggets star is a phenomenal passer, and people take note of that.

He is also great at making big-time heaves that go viral.

But, generally, Jokic doesn’t do the things that create highlight reels and that’s one of the things that makes him so amazing.

From his personality to his build to his skills, he is one-of-a-kind in many ways.

To say he is historic really is not an understatement because there has never been a star like him.

For the season, Jokic is averaging 29.7 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.2 assists on 57.5 percent from the floor.

He remains the most important player in Denver and, to many, the best star in the league.

His latest game against the Timberwolves wasn’t a win but it was another chance for Jokic to shine and remind the world how unique he is.

You can use the word “historic” or any other to describe him, but one thing is clear: Jokic is someone special.

The post Former Player Makes A Big Statement About Nikola Jokic appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/former-player-makes-a-big-statement-about-nikola-jokic/