The Nuggets don’t want to talk about it. Why would they? Denver is still one win away from winning its first NBA championship, and these playoffs have proved that last win is always the most difficult to get. On Sunday, Michael Malone reminded reporters of the Nuggets’ experience in 2020, when Denver rallied from a 3–1 deficit to eliminate Utah in the opening round.
“The close-out game,” the coach said, “is always the hardest game ever.”
Fans are thinking it: Why wouldn’t they? Denver is one win away from a title and perhaps a year away from winning another. The franchise player, Nikola Jokić, is 28. His costar, Jamal Murray, is 26. Michael Porter Jr. is 24. All three are under contract through at least 2025, when it’s likely the Nuggets will lock Murray into a deal that keeps him in Denver into the next decade.
