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Nuggets coach Michael Malone on Game 5: ‘Our approach is that we’re down 3-1’

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Updated28 Sep 2023

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone on Game 5 Our approach is that were down 3-1 2023 NBA Finals

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone was asked about his team’s mindset heading into Monday night’s Game 5 matchup against the Miami Heat of the 2023 NBA Finals. Malone, 51, is treating this game as if Denver is down 3-1 in the series.

“My biggest concern going into any close-out game is human nature and fighting against that,” Malone said on Sunday. “Most teams, when you’re up 3-1, they come up for air. They relax and they just kind of take it for granted that, oh, we’re going to win this.

According to a few NBA betting sites, Nikola Jokic is the favorite to win Finals MVP. Sportsbooks also show the Denver Nuggets with the best odds to win next season’s championship in 2024.


“We know anything is possible [down 3-1]. That’s why my message to our team was our approach has to be we are down 3-1,” added the Nuggets coach. “They are desperate. We have to be more desperate. They are hungry. We have to be hungrier.”

The Nuggets could win their first NBA title in 47 years in the league. However, a close-out game is almost always challenging. Miami has won seven road games this postseason and is 2-0 when facing elimination. The Heat won against the Bulls in the play-in tournament and at Boston in Game 7 of the conference finals.

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone wants his players to stay hungry for a championship ahead of Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals

Moreover, the Nuggets overcame 3-1 deficits twice to win two series in the Orlando bubble in 2020. The 2015-16 Cavaliers are the last team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals to win the series.

LeBron James and the Cavs accomplished this feat against a 73-win Warriors team. To this day, Cleveland remains only one of 36 teams to trail 3-1 in the NBA Finals and go on to win the series.

Nonetheless, the Nuggets are in prime position to finish what they started. Denver ended its regular season 53-29, clinching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the first time in franchise history. More importantly, the Nuggets have avoided injuries.


“This team has been through a lot,” Michael Malone mentioned. “The last two years, no Jamal Murray; last season, no Michael Porter. To get back healthy and add some key pieces, this is a team that has been tested before and I think is really built for this moment.”

Game 5 will air live tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Per ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Nuggets have an 85.3% chance of winning their first NBA championship tonight in front of their home crowd at Ball Arena. Sportsbooks show Denver as an 8.5-point favorite over the Heat.

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