'No excuses': Banged-up Nuggets need to play better in Game 3, Malone says

Denver has been dealing with some injuries in its Western Conference semifinal series against the Wolves.

May 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) drives to the basket / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets aren’t entering Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Timberwolves in the best of health, but they’re certainly not using that as an excuse. 

The Nuggets listed Jamal Murray (calf), Reggie Jackson (calf) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (abdominal) all as questionable for Friday night’s Game 3 against the Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said pregame that those injuries won’t be an excuse, and if they can play, they need to go out and play. All three are available for Friday night's game.

“There's no excuses. If you can play, you got to go out there and play. And we’re not going to make excuses. Everybody across the playoffs is hurt,” Malone said. “I don’t know if there’s anybody that has a clean bill of health, anybody that’s 100%.

"… Jamal is banged up, KCP is banged up, Nikola (Jokic) is banged up, so what? Go out there and do your job, and if you’re not able to do your job, then we’ll have to throw somebody out there who can try to help and bring something to the table.” 

Malone noted the one positive about having not played since Monday is that it has given his players time to rest and recuperate. Now it'll be the test to see if they can hold up Friday night.

And the Nuggets certainly need everyone they can as they face a 2-0 series deficit while they enter hostile territory at Target Center against a Wolves team that still hasn't lost this postseason.

“We have to play better and everybody on our team knows that,” Malone said. 

Finch setup

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch will once again be on the bench to coach his team during Game 3 against the Nuggets. It’ll be a similar setup to what they did for the first two games of the series in Denver, with Finch sitting on the second row behind assistant coach Micah Nori, who’s handled in-game duties while Finch has been recovering from surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon.

Chris Finch says his position on the bench for Game 3 will be in the 2nd row right behind the coaches. He says he’ll be well-protected there but unlike Denver he’ll be parallel to the sideline. pic.twitter.com/25O6xCeuwb

— Alan Horton (@WolvesRadio) May 11, 2024

Finch said he’s feeling better every single day and that the pain is slowly subsiding. 

“When I’m not here with the team or at practice or during the game, I’m at home, leg up. Started therapy this week, so that’s been good,” Finch said. “… I just don’t want to miss it.”