Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone Michael Ciaglo-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Malone suggests Nuggets were too worried about postgame plans after loss to Clippers

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 1/12/22

It was bad enough the Denver Nuggets gave up a 25-point lead before losing to the Los Angeles Clippers 87-85 on Tuesday evening. But afterward, coach Michael Malone really let them have it.

“I think today’s NBA player, they’re worrying about where they’re going out tonight,” he deadpanned to the press postgame, later adding: "We had a lot of guys running away from the ball in big moments."

Yikes.

Michael Malone after Nuggets blow 25-point lead in 87-85 loss to Clippers in LA: “Losses like this keep me awake for weeks. I think today’s NBA player, they’re worrying about where they’re going out tonight.” pic.twitter.com/qRbyfHJVHP
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) January 12, 2022

To be fair, this sort of public display is very on-brand for Malone. He isn't one to shy away from giving a good sound bite -- this is the same coach who, prior to the same game, used some very interesting verbiage regarding Nikola Jokic's MVP capacity.

Michael Malone: "Nikola Jokic is not sexy. He's just not. His wife might disagree. There's nothing about Nikola that is sexy to people."
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) January 12, 2022

Plus, whether you agree with a coach publicly berating his team or not, the Nuggets really did fall flat late in Tuesday's game and give the Clippers room to take over. In a game that is so miserably low-scoring, to be overcome by more than 20 points is not a good thing.

Jokic took a different approach to the loss, telling the Denver Post: "That's our season right now. Sometimes we're good, sometimes we're bad."

It's anyone's guess now whether the good or bad version of the Nuggets shows up on Wednesday to host the Portland Trail Blazers ... or what kind of an impression Malone's fiery comments left.

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