Regardless of how far down the Denver Nuggets are, it is never a good idea to write them off. NBA commentator Stephen A. Smith had to learn the hard way. After the Minnesota Timberwolves grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs, Smith prophesied that the Nuggets would be swept. But Denver rallied and grabbed the third game from the Timberwolves.
Following the Denver Nuggets’ 27-point victory on Friday, Stephen A. Smith had no choice but to apologize for his allegation. During ESPN’s NBA Countdown, Smith praised the Nuggets for their dominant play.
I owe an apology to the champs. They’re the champions for a reason. And they showed up last night, reminding the world what champions are made of. Stephen A. Smith, via NBA Countdown.
Smith turned gears and commended the Nuggets for their outstanding shooting performance despite being down 0-2. The expert praised the team’s skill, namely Jamal Murray’s first-half play and Michael Malone’s coaching. Smith also acknowledged the team’s success in slowing down Anthony Edwards.
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ wins in the first two games were stunning, but forecasting a sweep by the reigning champions was a stretch. The Nuggets were dominant in the third game, not giving the Timberwolves a single quarter-ending lead. Nuggets fans were overjoyed following Smith’s apology because the series had gotten more entertaining.
Mike Malone used critics’ words to motivate the Nuggets for game 3
As Smith himself stated, Nuggets head coach Mike Malone is an excellent coach, if not one of the best in the league. As a result, the HC devised an excellent approach to motivate the reigning champions following lackluster performance and criticism from pundits.
Along with Smith, many other experts criticized the Nuggets for their two consecutive losses and forecasted a bleak future for the team in the series. During the press conference, Malone disclosed that he created a two-minute edit of every critic who forecast the team’s failure and showed it to the players.
I knew this would hit a chord deep within you, to say, ‘Hey buddy, everybody and their brother is saying you’re out, you’re done. You can’t play on this team. They are better than you. If that doesn’t resonate with you as a competitor, I’m not sure what will. So, certainly, our troops answered the bell and shown that they still believe. Michael Malone during the post-game presser.
During the NBA countdown, Malika Andrews hinted that Smith’s take may have also made the cut in Malone’s film. Despite declining, Smith apologized once his claim was turned against him.
