Must approach Game 5 like we’re down 3-1: Denver Nuggets’ Michael Malone

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reckons they must approach Game 5 as if they are down 3-1 in the NBA Finals against Miami Heat. The Nuggets are leading by 3-1 and they are one win away from winning their maiden NBA championship.

Malone’s team took the lead after winning the fourth game of the series by 108-95 and the gaffer wants his team to wrap up the series in the fifth game. Malone doesn’t want his team to get complacent in their approach and wants them to have an aggressive mindset while entering the fifth game.

Ergo, it will be crucial for the Nuggets to not take their foot off the pedal and keep the pressure on Miami Heat, who will have to win at any cost to stay alive in the NBA finals.

“My biggest concern going into any close-out game is human nature and fighting against that,” Malone said Sunday ahead of Game 5. “Most teams, when you’re up 3-1, they come up for air. They relax and they just kind of take it for granted that, oh, we’re going to win this.

Nuggets head coach Malone wants his players to be more desperate and hungry in their approach on Monday night.

“We know anything is possible [down 3-1]. That’s why my message to our team was our approach has to be we are down 3-1. They are desperate. We have to be more desperate. They are hungry. We have to be hungrier.”

On the other hand, Nuggets’ talisman Nikola Jokic concurred with his coach and added they are going to take it as a must-win game.

“We are going to approach it as a must-win game,” Jokic said Sunday. “I know it’s a big opportunity, and I think everybody knows. By reflection of the practice today, how everybody was locked in, I think we are going to be ready.”

The fifth game of the series will be played on Monday night and the Nuggets will look to clinch their maiden NBA Championship.