"We took a big step backward": Malone left searching for answers after loss to Heat

[Elite_video_player id=”37″]

DENVER — After a convincing win on the road in Phoenix Sunday, the Denver Nuggets returned to Pepsi Center for a two-game homestand looking to build momentum before a daunting six-game road trip awaits them next week.

However, instead of overpowering an injury-riddled Heat squad that came into tonight’s matchup losers of two straight and four of their last five like expected, the Nuggets relapsed in the worst way.

“We took a big step backward tonight, which is disappointing,” an unhappy Michael Malone said following the Nuggets’ 106-98 loss. “We’ll have to get back to work tomorrow.”

The Nuggets had shown some positives leading up to Wednesday night’s affair against Miami despite dropping two of their last three to Utah and Oklahoma City. Denver was discovering successful lineups. Emmanuel Mudiay was cutting down his turnovers. Nikola Jokic seemed to be finding himself, and Denver’s offense was humming as of late.

Some of those positives, including Jokic, who had one of his best games of the season scoring 17 points on 8-17 shooting and grabbing 14 rebounds in just 24 minutes remain, but overall like Malone offered postgame, the Nuggets took a step in the wrong direction tonight.

“I think it’s important, you always explain to your team why you win and why you lose,” Malones said. “And the fourth quarter is where your defense has to be at its strongest and that was our worst quarter defensively tonight. [We allowed] 31 points on 61 percent, that’s a joke.”

Things came unraveled after the Nuggets worked back from a 17-4 Heat run and trailed by four at 89-84 with 6:33 left in the fourth quarter. Jokic went to the bench after playing roughly ten straight minutes without a rest and Kenneth Faried shifted down the five-spot.

What followed was a quick 9-5 run for Miami on the back of a Wayne Ellington three and two-straight Hassan Whiteside post-ups to push the Heat’s lead to nine with 3:13 left as Jokic re-entered the game. But by then it was curtains for the Nuggets.

“I’m not sure, I have to look at the lineups, why that was happening,” Malone said in regards to the play from Miami’s bench which scored 29 of the Heat’s last 35 points. “But their bench really kicked our butts.”

It’s back to the drawing board for the Nuggets and Malone, who still seems to be searching for a lineup he can trust late in games and one he can ride for significant stretches. Denver now has to turn things around in a hurry with James Harden and the Houston Rockets coming to town for a nationally televised ESPN game Friday night.