Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he was "looking forward" to reviewing film after losing Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals to see where all the foul calls against his team were. 

Following the Nuggets 126-114 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Malone not-so-subtly criticized the officials over the foul disparity and believes the Lakers benefited from "an extreme advantage".

Los Angeles led Denver in free throw attempts, 37-28, with 24 attempts from the line in the second quarter alone. 

Jamal Murray was asked what turned the tide in the second quarter early when the Lakers made their run: "If you watched the game, you could tell."

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) September 19, 2020

"It’s tough," Nuggets guard Jamal Murray told reporters. "They’re going to talk about every call and have conversations and try to manipulate what happens. But you can’t worry about it. It’s going to be we’re the younger team. We’re going to play through it and find a way."

Center Nikola Jokic (21 points, six rebounds) fell into early foul trouble before ending up with five late in the fourth quarter. Murray (21 points, five assists) was called for four fouls. 

Jamal Murray on getting calls, fighting through calls and earning respect: "... I'm not going to sit here and blame it on the refs. That is not what I am doing." He added that the Nuggets have to play through the whistles.

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) September 19, 2020

Game 2 between the Nuggets and Lakers is set for Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT. 

Jamal Murray has reached superstar status during the Denver Nuggets' playoff run this season, but he faced plenty of criticism from outside observers before reaching this point.

In an interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium on Friday, the guard was asked about how he reacted to people suggesting that he didn't deserve the massive contract extension he signed with the Nuggets last year:

Denver star Jamal Murray sits down on @Stadium: Naysayers after $170M max deal (“I stopped listening. It’s what you allow in your head") — Rise of Nuggets — Leadership (“Chris Paul can give you 15 extra points just by leading”) — facing his idol LeBron in WCF. pic.twitter.com/U7l82pSlHz

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 18, 2020

Murray said he "stopped listening" to the naysayers since buying into the criticism can "knock you off track."

The Nuggets signed Murray to a five-year, $170 million max extension in July 2019, which was a move that many questioned given what Murray had accomplished in his NBA career to that point.

Murray's production steadily improved across the board in each of his first three seasons, and he enjoyed a career year in 2018-19 with 18.2 points, 4.8 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 three-pointers made per game.

While he seemed to be blossoming into a potential star, Murray wasn't named an All-Star in any of his first three NBA seasons, nor did the Nuggets advance past the second round of the playoffs.

Despite that, the Nuggets bet on Murray taking the next step, and that decision has paid major dividends during the playoffs.

Murray's regular-season numbers were essentially the same this season as they were in 2018-19 with 18.5 points, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 three-pointers per game, but he has been a different player during the postseason.

In 14 playoff games, Murray is averaging 27.1 points, 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 3.8 trifectas, which are all well above his career averages.

Murray twice helped the Nuggets come back from 3-1 series deficits in these playoffs, and he has formed a legitimate superstar duo with center Nikola Jokic.

With Murray and Jokic leading the way, the Nuggets have a chance to knock off LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals despite being underdogs.

If Murray has any critics remaining, beating LeBron, AD and Co. would go a long way toward silencing them for good.

The Denver Nuggets have been inside the NBA bubble for more than 70 days now. 

Still eight wins away from a title, they'll remain in Orlando, Florida a bit longer after coming back from down 3-1 to beat the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs Tuesday.

The grind has real consequences that go beyond the basketball court, though. Clippers forward Paul George said as much when he talked about being in a "dark place" mentally in late August. 

Nuggets star Jamal Murray told Sam Amick of The Athletic he's been feeling it as well. 

"Paul George had said something about depression, about stress in the bubble, and it's real. ... [The mental health struggle] is a real thing, and I could see it," Murray said. "There's time when you're like, 'Man, I feel like I'm in jail sometimes.' But you go back, play basketball, have a good [practice], talk to your guys—and they're like brothers to me—so it all helps and it all works out."

Murray said he's essentially cocooned himself in his daily routine of waking up at nine a.m., working out, napping, and going back to the arena for practice or games. 

Adhering to his schedule is one way he's able to maintain his mental health and keep himself focused. 

"It's really real, and it's hard to deal with—being away from the fam," Murray said. "... But for me, [basketball] is an addiction. I go by the pool, get my mind off basketball, come back, and get ready to go. When I put my addiction to basketball, it shows on the court. I go in for an extra lift. I lift twice [on game-days]—before shoot-around and before the game. I prepare myself mentally."

More than two months into the NBA's most ambitious experiment yet, Murray seems to have found the right way to keep himself prepared. 

The Nuggets are heading into a Western Conference Finals matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers with Murray averaging 27.1 points, 6.4 assists and five rebounds per game. 

As the point guard goes, so does Denver. 

That doesn't mean it's been easy.

With a few weeks left until Murray gets to go home and rejoin his family, staying on top of his mental health will be as important as anything he does on the court. 

Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth withdrew from the running to be the Sacramento Kings' new head of basketball operations, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The remaining candidates to fill the role vacated by Vlade Divac include Minnesota Timberwolves executive vice president Sachin Gupta, Houston Rockets assistant general manager Monte McNair and former Atlanta Hawks general manager Wes Wilcox, per Wojnarowski. The Kings are expected to announce their decision this week.

Booth spent the past few seasons as the Nuggets' assistant general manager under Arturas Karnisovas, who left to become the Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations in April.

Denver promoted Booth to general manager in July to replace Karnisovas.

"Calvin is one of the brightest basketball minds in our league," Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said in a statement. "We are very fortunate to have him as part of our organization and are extremely excited for his new role."

The 44-year-old is overseeing a squad that is set to compete in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2009. Denver has overcome two 3-1 deficits during the postseason to beat the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers and will face the Los Angeles Lakers for a trip to the NBA Finals.

With Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic under contract for at least three more seasons each, the Nuggets are in good position to stay in contention for a long time.

Meanwhile, Sacramento is seeking someone who can turn around a franchise that hasn't reached the playoffs since 2006.

All Twitter seemingly wanted to talk about Tuesday was the Los Angeles Clippers' collapse or the Los Angeles Lakers' easy path to the NBA Finals. 

Lost in the mix were the Denver Nuggets, who completed their 3-1 comeback over the Clippers in the Western Conference Semifinals with a 104-89 victory in Tuesday's Game 7.

After the game, Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray wanted more of the focus on his team.

"You got Shaq, you got Charles [Barkley], you got Zach Lowe, Stephen A. [Smith]," he said, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. "All y'all better start giving this team some damn respect because we put in the work and we've got a resilient team. Y'all can start changing the narrative and looking at us in a better light."

With all due respect to Murray, who has largely been brilliant this postseason, the immediate focus was destined to be on the Clippers if they blew a 3-1 lead.

After all, they're the ones in the marquee market with superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George leading the way. They're the ones who were supposed to challenge for the championship as arguably the most talented team in the league. And they're the ones who appeared destined for an all-Los Angeles Western Conference Finals.

Instead, they went ice-cold from the field on the way to only 33 second-half points.

Leonard (6-of-22) and George (4-of-16) were the biggest culprits, but the entire team struggled with the season on the line.

Still, Denver was unbelievable. Murray brought his team back from an early deficit with 25 first-half points on his way to a head-turning 40 in a performance that was reminiscent of his first-round showdowns with Donovan Mitchell.

Nikola Jokic was incredible as well, doing a little bit of everything with 16 points, 22 rebounds, 13 assists, three blocks and two steals. He orchestrated the offense like a facilitating point guard even though he's a big man, and the Clippers never had any answers.

Murray and the Nuggets did more than enough to earn the respect he was looking for, but beating the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals would undoubtedly secure it.

That would mean outlasting LeBron James and Anthony Davis in a best-of-seven series and following up two straight 3-1 comebacks with a win over the Western Conference's top seed.

Denver has already surprised in these playoffs. It now has another chance to shock the basketball world.

The Denver Nuggets will take part in a Game 7 for the second straight series, but Nikola Jokic is at ease this time around.

"We don't have pressure," Jokic said after Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers, per Malika Andrews of ESPN. "All the pressure is on them."

The No. 2-seeded Clippers had a 3-1 lead in the series but Denver has won each of the last two games, overcoming double-digit deficits in both. Jokic dazzled in Game 6 with 34 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in the come-from-behind win.

Denver also trailed 3-1 in the first round against the Utah Jazz before rattling off three straight wins to shockingly reach the next round. Jamal Murray was the star of that series with two 50-point games and four games of at least 36.

Jokic has been a bigger factor this time around with over 20 points in five straight games.

The Nuggets will now go into Tuesday's Game 7 with a lot of momentum as well as the confidence of winning Game 7 in the last round.

This will put a lot of pressure on the Clippers, a team that entered the playoffs with high expectations as one of the favorites to win an NBA title. The squad is as talented as any in the NBA after adding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George last offseason, combined with a deep roster full of players who can contribute on both ends.

However, this franchise has never reached the conference finals and is on the brink of throwing away its best chance in 2020.

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. discussed the criticism he received from Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard and other NBA players for his comments following Denver's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series.

According to ESPN's Royce Young, Porter said the following about how Lillard and others reacted to his comments:

"I kinda tried to block that out. Everything I said—I stand by what I say. And I didn't mean it in any type of disrespectful way or anything like that. Coaches and my teammates, they all know that. We talked as a team. Everybody was on the same page coming into today. But Dame and those guys, I respect all those guys—especially those superstars in the league talking to a young guy like me. You want to listen. You don't want to have an ego and think you're always right. So I took what those guys said, and I listened to it. Everybody has their opinion, but that was blocked out before today, and everybody was on the same page."

After the Nuggets lost to L.A. in Game 4 on Wednesday, Porter expressed his belief that more players beyond Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray needed to get involved offensively, including himself, since he attempted just two shots in the second half of that game:

“To beat that team, we've gotta get more players involved.”

MPJ on wanting to get more involved on offense after Game 4 loss https://t.co/iI7qRIHAeC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 10, 2020

"That is up to the playcalling, the coaches and whose hands they want to put the ball in. We kept going to [Jokic] and [Murray] and they are two amazing players, but I just think to beat them we need to get more players involved. We have to move the ball a little bit better. We can't be predictable against that team."

Lillard later took to Twitter and said Porter was wrong for what came across as criticism of his coaching staff and teammates:

Smdh ... https://t.co/uNwDxmJgQ2

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 10, 2020

Yes he is wrong. If you know you know and ima leave it at that https://t.co/5Ynr2GXQlP

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 10, 2020

Despite the drama, Denver rebounded in Game 5 on Friday, as it came from behind to beat the Clippers 111-105 and cut the series deficit to 3-2.

Porter didn't have a particularly big game Friday, as he scored just seven points to go along with five rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench, but he hit one of the biggest shots of the night.

With just one minute, 11 seconds left and Denver nursing a two-point lead, Porter nailed a trifecta to extend the lead to five. That turned out to be MPJ's only made field goal of the entire game.

Porter proved his worth once again, though, as his plus-13 rating tied for the team lead after his plus-4 rating led the team in Game 4.

The 22-year-old Porter, who made his NBA debut this season after missing his entire rookie campaign, has been a key player for the Nuggets during their playoff run.

In 12 postseason contests he is third on the team in scoring (11.7 points per game) and second in rebounding (6.9 rebounds per game).

Murray (26.5 PPG, 6.6 APG, 5.1 RPG) and Jokic (25.4 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 5.3 APG) are clearly the driving forces behind the Nuggets' success, but supporting performers are needed, and Porter has been the best and most consistent third option.

Porter may have ruffled some feathers with his previous comments, including those of Lillard, but if he continues to hit clutch shots like he did Friday, his teammates and coaches likely won't have an issue with him speaking his mind.

We all heard Michael Porter Jr.'s comments after the Denver Nuggets' Game 4 loss on Wednesday. At least, all of NBA Twitter did. Depending on where you stand, he was either well within his rights as a talented star in the making, completely out of line as a rookie, or maybe something in between as a 22-year-old figuring it out.  

“To beat that team, we've gotta get more players involved.”

MPJ on wanting to get more involved on offense after Game 4 loss https://t.co/iI7qRIHAeC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 10, 2020

Wherever you stand, one thing was clear. Porter's comments put the spotlight on him heading into their elimination game Friday night. 

Even though Porter should have kept his comments in-house, he turned out to be correct—Murray and Jokic had just three of Denver's last 17 points—and the Nuggets lived to fight another day.

After a quiet three quarters, Porter stepped up in a big way, hitting probably the biggest shot of his young career to seal Denver's 111-105 victory. It is definitely the type of shot a coach would classify as a no, no, no...YES bucket. 

MICHAEL PORTER JR. IS CLUTCH 😳 https://t.co/bGsoIEOFeH

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 12, 2020

Even bigger than the shot was Porter's defense in the fourth, which was unexpected considering his defense had put him in Mike Malone's doghouse throughout the season. 

Down five with 8:15 left, Porter shoots out of the paint to close out to Lou Williams and forces him to a side-step three that he does not get off before the shot clock expires. 

This time, with the Nuggets up eight and 3:30 left in the game, Porter helps to stop Kawhi Leonard's drive into the paint and then closes out to Marcus Morris Sr. at the three-point line and forces him into a difficult shot. 

Then with Denver up five and 37 seconds to go, Ivica Zubac has a deep post-up against Porter, but when he goes into his move, Porter comes up with a huge block. 

Porter's lone field goal sealed the game for the Nuggets, but his defense in the fourth was an important part of what kept them in that position. 

During the Utah Jazz series, Malone moved Porter to the bench. Even though he was taken out of the starting lineup for defensive purposes, it served another purpose. It gave the Nuggets bench some offensive punch and let Malone stagger Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray's minutes. 

Porter is such a good cutter and off-ball mover that he's a valuable target for Jokic when Murray is on the bench. Malone can also use Porter as Murray's pick-and-roll partner with his ability to mix up popping and rolling to the rim. He is a good enough shooter that he can spread the floor when on the court with both players. And he can also attack any second side action with his ball-handling skills.

Bringing him off the bench in this series also let him find the rhythm of the game against the Clippers' second unit. That meant he didn't have to start the game going up against Kawhi Leonard or Paul George on either end of the court. 

If we've learned one thing, it's that the Nuggets will not go out quietly. They didn't in the first round when they came back from a 3-1 deficit, and they didn't Friday night facing elimination again, coming back from a Clippers 15-point lead in the second half. 

It happened because of a team effort on both ends of the court. In the second half of Game 5 against the Clippers, the Nuggets had 15 assists and nine different scorers. In the second half of Game 4, they had just six assists and six different scorers. 

Porter's play in the bubble has shown the league that his future is extremely bright and he is just scratching the surface of his game. If the Nuggets are going to graduate from quasi-contenders to true contenders, it will be because Porter has developed into their third star.  

   

Mo Dakhil spent six years with the Los Angeles Clippers and two years with the San Antonio Spurs as a video coordinator, as well as three years with the Australian men's national team. Follow him on Twitter, @MoDakhil_NBA. 

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone addressed forward Michael Porter Jr.'s recent comments expressing frustration about the team not sharing the ball enough following their Game 4 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last Wednesday (h/t Mike Singer of the Denver Post):

Here’s part of Michael Malone’s answer when I asked his reaction to Michael Porter Jr.’s postgame comments. pic.twitter.com/ABJx5MuLE1

— Mike Singer (@msinger) September 11, 2020

"Obviously, during the playoffs, the last thing you want is any type of distraction," Malone said in part. "And if those frustrations are there for Michael or for anybody, it is much better to keep those conversations internal, in the locker room and amongst ourselves, and that was it."

Porter Jr. scored 15 first-half points but none after halftime in the Game 4 defeat, when he took just two second-half shots and rarely touched the ball.

He said the following postgame:

“To beat that team, we've gotta get more players involved.”

MPJ on wanting to get more involved on offense after Game 4 loss https://t.co/iI7qRIHAeC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 10, 2020

Denver struggled offensively en route to the 96-85 loss, which put L.A. up three games to one in the best-of-seven series.

Game 5 is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Porter Jr. has been excellent in his last three games against Los Angeles, averaging 14.7 points on 18-of-35 shooting. However, Denver's offense has not gotten much going outside him and Jokic.

Point guard Jamal Murray, who dropped 50 points twice against the Utah Jazz in the first round, has made just 38.2 percent of his shot attempts for 17.8 points per game.

Denver is scoring just 99.8 points per game against L.A. as a team after posting 111.3 on average during the regular season.

Credit goes to the Clippers, who finished fifth in defensive rating this year, for a stellar effort en route to largely shutting the Denver offense down. Having a pair of All-NBA Defensive Team players in Leonard and George certainly helps as well as a deep bench that has proven to be stout on both ends.

However, Denver must overcome those obstacles quickly, as a Clippers win Friday ends the Nuggets' season.

Portland Trail Blazers superstar guard Damian Lillard didn't agree with Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.'s decision to criticize his coaches after the Nuggets' 96-85 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.

Porter attempted only two shots in the second half and suggested the playcalling was to blame:

“To beat that team, we've gotta get more players involved.”

MPJ on wanting to get more involved on offense after Game 4 loss https://t.co/iI7qRIHAeC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 10, 2020

"That is up to the playcalling, the coaches and whose hands they want to put the ball in. We kept going to [Nikola Jokic] and [Jamal Murray] and they are two amazing players, but I just think to beat them we need to get more players involved. We have to move the ball a little bit better. We can't be predictable against that team."

Lillard responded to the quotes on Twitter:

Smdh ... https://t.co/uNwDxmJgQ2

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 10, 2020

Yes he is wrong. If you know you know and ima leave it at that https://t.co/5Ynr2GXQlP

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 10, 2020

With the loss to L.A., Denver now trails the series 3-1 and is one loss away from elimination, meaning frustrations and emotions were likely running high for Porter.

Porter was a huge factor for Denver in the first half of Wednesday's game, scoring 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, but he finished with that same 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

Meanwhile, Jokic attempted a team-high 23 shots and finished with 26 points, while Murray scored 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

Porter played 34 minutes off the bench, giving him more playing time than any Nuggets player besides Jokic and Murray. Porter also posted a plus-4 rating when he was on the court, which was the team-best mark.

Jokic and Murray combined for a minus-14 rating despite having the two highest scoring totals on the team.

Porter suggested after the game that he has to be more vocal when it comes to telling the coaches that more players have to touch the ball:

"I think if I am going to be out there on the floor playing a lot of minutes, I think I should voice that. I will probably talk to the coaches and tell them what I see being out there on the floor just letting them know, look, they know what we are doing. We have to swing the ball. We have a lot of players that can play basketball and score, so we have to get some more guys involved."

Porter seemed to believe that not only he needed to get more involved in the offense during the second half, but other teammates as well. Aside from Jokic, Murray and Porter, guard Gary Harris was the only other Nuggets player to score in double figures Wednesday with 10 points.

While leaning too heavily on Jokic and Murray may have cost the Nuggets in Game 4, it is easy to understand why head coach Michael Malone went that route.

During the playoffs, Murray is putting up a team-high 26.5 points with 6.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, while Jokic is averaging 25.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Porter is third on the team in scoring during the postseason with just 12.1 points per game.

Regardless of the solution, the Nuggets needs to turn things around before their possible elimination in Game 5 on Friday.