Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone called his club an embarrassment following their 135-110 road loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
(via Denver Nuggets):
“I think it started in the 2nd quarter. They outscored us 32-30 in that 2nd. It was 13-6 to close that 2nd quarter. So they took all the momentum into halftime and opened up on a big run to start the 3rd. And to combine the two. End of that 2nd, start of the 3rd, it was a 37-12 run. We were embarrassing tonight. It was a poor effort after that 1st quarter. Did not defend at all. We can’t guard one-on-one right now at all. Eighteen blow by’s tonight for 22 points. Against Oklahoma City, sixteen blow by’s for 31 points. So your defense starts on the ball. We can’t guard the ball.
“When you identify a shooter like Anfernee Simons as a guy that you have to take him off the three, and he goes 7 of 12. Well, you’re not doing your job. He had 22 of their 44 in that 3rd quarter. He had 6 of his 7 threes in that 3rd quarter. And that’s where things kinda really unraveled, but it started in that 2nd in my opinion. We gave up 60 plus in the paint. We gave up 48 points off threes. We put them on the foul line 31 times. They had 20 plus in transition. So we did zero defensively tonight.”
