Denver is having a long break.
The Nuggets were interviewed by NBC Sports on the 27th. 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 befits a series between championship favourites, the series was 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 seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, who had come all the way from the play-in tournament. It was expected to be a hard-fought battle, but Denver lived up to their No. 1 seed status and never dropped a game, completing a 4-0 sweep.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference finalists are yet to be determined. Game 1 of the Finals will be played on 2 June. Denver has had a total of nine days off since the Western Conference Finals ended.
The long break is a double-edged sword. It allows players to focus on their conditioning and be in the best shape possible after such a demanding schedule. However, there is an inevitable drop in performance.
“We are 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.”메이저사이트
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.
“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.”