"You don't flush when you get embarrassed": Mike Malone drops NSFW remark after Nikola Jokic and Co. get embarrassed at home
Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone was visibly frustrated following his team’s crushing 145-118 home loss to the New York Knicks on Monday. Reflecting on his players’ performance, coach Malone didn’t hold back during his post-game media session, dropping an F-bomb when asked if this was a game the team would simply look to forget and move on from.
"Nah, f**k that man, no," Malone told reporters after the game. "No, we're not flushing. You don't flush when you get embarrassed. You don't flush when you gave up 145 points. You don't flush when you didn't play hard, didn't play with effort, didn't play with physicality. I'm not flushing anything."
The Nuggets appeared completely out of sync as the Knicks dominated every aspect of the game. Jalen Brunson orchestrated the offense with precision, tearing apart Denver’s defense with his passing, while OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns scored effortlessly.
Brunson dished out a career-high 17 assists, while Anunoby delivered a career-best 40 points. Towns outshined three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, posting an impressive 30-point, 15-rebound double-double.
Jokic echoed his coach’s frustration over the team’s lackluster performance and emphasized the importance of playing with consistency and focus from start to finish.
"We didn't show up tonight," Jokic said. "It's always a good punch in the face just to wake up. Coach was right. We are in the games, and we are always down 20 at a half."
"I don't know (what's going on). We don't warm up, we don't wake up, or we just don't play hard enough. I don't know what it is, but collectively, we need to do a better job."
Mike Malone's pleads Jokic and others to compliment Westbrook
Mike Malone called on his players to take a page from Russell Westbrook’s book and become more vocal on the court. The Denver Nuggets coach specifically mentioned Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, urging them to step up and display stronger leadership.
"Russell Westbrook, he's vocal, but we need more than Russell Westbrook," Malone said. "I need Nikola Jokic. I need Jamal Murray. I need guys that have been here in that starting lineup to be vocal."
"Tonight, we got embarrassed. 16 games in, and we're talking about effort, toughness, and physicality. Leadership would be great, toughness would be great, physicality would be great, and playing like you actually care would be great. We didn't do that."
The Nuggets will have an opportunity to rebound from their heavy loss to the Knicks when they take on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.