The Denver Nuggets are matched against the Los Angeles Lakers. Los Angeles Lakershave the statistics on their side. However, Lakers coach Darvin Ham showed determination, creating an intense atmosphere for the upcoming game.
“We want all the smoke and we're not avoiding any challenges,” Ham conveyed to his players inside the Lakers locker room after they rallied to beat the New Orleans Pelicans on April 16 and secured a first-round matchup against the Nuggets.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone responded a day later with a retort.
“We swept them last year. We swept them this year,” mentioned Malone to reporters after the Nuggets practice on April 17. “They come in playing really well and hungry. They want to change that. Our players understand that.” Drilling that message into his players’ minds has been the focus of the Nuggets' practice leading up to the playoffs, which begin on Saturday, April 20. “You win a championship and now and here come a very hungry Lakers team who’s upset that we’ve beaten them eight straight times,” Malone reiterated to reporters following the team practice on April 18. “We want to start off strong and send a message.”
The theme of the Nuggets practice ahead of the playoffs, which commence on Saturday, April 20, is emphasizing this point to the players.
“You win a championship and now and here come a very hungry Lakers team who’s upset that we’ve beaten them eight straight times,” Malone restated to reporters after the team practice on April 18. “We want to go up to a great start and send a message.” Drilling that in his players’ heads has become the theme of the Nuggets practice ahead of the playoffs which tips off on Saturday, April 20. “You win a championship and now and here come a very hungry Lakers team who’s upset that we’ve beaten them eight straight times,” Malone reiterated to reporters after the team practice on April 18. “We want to go up to a great start and send a message.”
LeBron James and Michael Malone Express Fatigue over ‘Rematch’ Angle
Despite the intriguing storyline of the Lakers-Nuggets playoff matchup being centered around the rematch and revenge, two of the main figures — LeBron James and Malone — do not support this narrative. LeBron James and Malone — are not a fan of it.
“I think you’re putting a little bit too much emphasis on it,” James told reporters after the Lakers practice on April 18 in response to questions about the rematch. “This is our first-round matchup. I mean, we’re looking forward to the postseason. But I haven’t been, like, looking forward to the rematch. The game is played how it’s being played, and this is the matchup. So we’re looking forward to that challenge.” Malone also shares this sentiment, even though he continues to remind his players that the Lakers are seeking revenge.
“The biggest challenge is everyone keeps talking about how we’ve beaten them eight games in a row and as I told our players that doesn’t mean anything,” Malone conveyed to reporters on April 17. “I mean this is a different team, a different series and we know what we have in front of us. It’s going to be a hell of a challenge to beat the Lakers again in the playoffs.”
Nothing Personal
James does not want last year’s Western Conference Finals sweep to be their motivation to beat the Nuggets, urging the Lakers to focus on their game plan and detach from the emotional burden of their 0-8 record against the Nuggets.
“It shouldn’t be personal at all,” James said. “I think you allow yourself to get away from the game plan when you make it too personal. We have a game plan. You go out there and execute it and you live with the results. I’m kind of the last person you should [ask that] — I just stay even-keeled. I’ve been in the postseason way too long in my career to know that you don’t get too high off of Game 1 or get too high over whoever the matchup is. You got to just stay even-keeled.”
Game 1 couldn’t come soon enough.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham sets the tone with a battle cry. Nuggets coach Michael Malone responds with a jab.
