Michael Malone Reveals Hilarious Moment With Nikola Jokic After Ejection

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Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic and his head coach Michael Malone were both ejected from Monday night's game vs. the Detroit Pistons, but the two were able to watch the game together in the locker room. Malone revealed a hilarious moment between the two of them following their ejections, saying they celebrated good moments together while watching the game, but Malone would swear in Serbian when something bad happened.
Coach Malone said him and Nikola Jokić are “kindred spirits.”
— Katy Winge (@katywinge) November 21, 2023
Watching together in back, when something good happened, there were cheers and high fives.
When something bad happened, Coach Malone said he (himself) was cursing in Serbian.
Jokic and Malone have a special relationship having spent so many years together, and while neither one of them wanted to be back in the locker room while that game was going on, they were able to watch the rest of the guys pull out a victory. This was a frustrating game for Denver, but it was of course made much better with the win.
The Nuggets had lost two-straight games prior to this win over Detroit, and looked to be in real danger of dropping a third-straight once Jokic was ejected. Already without Jamal Murray, the Nuggets were missing their second best player, and then their best player's night was ended before halftime.
Fortunately for Denver, they have an experienced and battle tested group that was able to come together and do what was needed to win this game. Now back in the win column, Denver will look to build off this momentum with the return of Murray growing nearer.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.