Denver is coming off a long break.
The Denver Nuggets were interviewed by NBC Sports on Sunday (Feb. 27). They talked about their current situation heading into the Finals.
Denver clinched a spot in the Finals early.
The Nuggets swept their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 4-1, to advance to the second round. Their second-round opponent was the Kevin Durant-led Phoenix Suns. As expected in a series between championship contenders, the teams went 2-2 in the first four games. However, Denver took the next two games to take the series 4-2.
The Western Conference Finals were even sweeter. The opponent was the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers, who had come all the way from the playoffs. It was expected to be a hard-fought matchup, but Denver lived up to their No. 1 seed status and never dropped a game to complete a 4-0 sweep.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference finalists are still to be determined. Game 1 of the Finals will take place on June 2. Denver has had a total of nine days off since the Western Conference Finals ended.
This long break is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it allows the players to focus on their conditioning and stay in top shape after such a demanding schedule. However, there is an inevitable drop in performance.
“We’re taking a break,” says Jamal Murray. But you can’t relax during this period. That’s the most important factor. You have to stay sharp.”
Denver head coach Mike Malone echoed Murray’s sentiments.
“It’s impossible to stay in a rhythm if you’re not playing,” Malone said. In practice, you can do whatever you want. But it’s not the same as playing an NBA playoff game,” he said.메이저사이트
“You don’t know who you’re going to play in the Finals. It’s going to be tough. So I told the guys to focus on us. We need to establish who we are and work on our deficiencies. We’ll do our best to stay in the best rhythm possible.”