Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone on Sunday channeled his inner Rudy Tomjanovich after his team’s victory in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Nuggets beat the Timberwolves 115-107 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The Nuggets’ win tied the series 2-2 after the team had lost the series’ first two contests in Denver.
During his postgame press conference, Malone was asked about what the Nuggets had “regained” over the last two games. Malone cited Tomjanovich’s memorable quote from when the former Houston Rockets coach led his team to a second NBA championship in 1995.
“Never underestimate the heart of a champion. They were quick to write us off. But these guys, we won a championship a year ago. We went into Miami [during the 2023 NBA Finals] and won two games in a row,” the Nuggets coach said.
“This team has been tested time and time again and we’ve found a way to solve whatever’s been thrown at us. … what I found about our group is they do believe in themselves and, more importantly, the man next to them.”
"Never underestimate the heart of a champion. They were quick to write us off… This team has been tested time and time again and we found a way to solve whatever's been thrown at us." 🗣️
Nuggets HC Michael Malone after regaining momentum in the series pic.twitter.com/mEyLmOPkH1
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 13, 2024
The 1994-95 Rockets famously defended their title after enduring one of the most grueling playoff runs in NBA history.
The sixth-seeded Rockets had to go through the four winningest teams in the regular season that year. The four teams — the San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and Orlando Magic — had an average regular season win total of 59.5 compared to the Rockets’ 47.
The Nuggets’ road to a repeat arguably isn’t as difficult as the gauntlet that the ’95 Rockets team had to go through. But Denver has certainly shown its championship mettle over the last two games.
