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Nuggets Coach Opens Up About Facing Lakers on Opening Ring Night

Michael Malone knows that the Lakers will be ready for business.

RIng night is always one of the most special nights ever for an NBA player, but it's also always one of the biggest trap games of the season.

While teams are celebrating winning a championship ring, their opposition is sitting there waiting for a chance to take them down. For the Nuggets, that opposition is going to be the rival they faced in the Western Conference Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone knows that the Lakers will be salivating at the opportunity for revenge.

"Same thing on opening night for us, emotional, raising the banner, getting rings, and the Lakers are going to be over there like ‘okay, we can’t wait to get this game started, take care of business,'" Malone said. "I’d love to go back and look at what the record is, ten years on opening night, the team that’s raising a banner and getting their rings, what their record is. Because it’s really hard to handle both, and I hope our guys have the mental toughness and ability to ‘great, banner, rings, now we have a job to do’ but it’s definitely going to be a challenge, but one we’ll prepare for.”

The Denver Nuggets have to be very mentally prepared for the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. LA feels like Denver has been talking trash, is still clearly distraught about getting swept in the playoffs, and wants revenge. If the Nuggets aren't careful, the Lakers will try to embarrass them.

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