Nuggets Coach Sends Clear 4-Word Message to Critics Before Playoffs

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With the Denver Nuggets' entire starting five out due to injury, David Adelman will turn exclusively to his bench on Monday, January 5.

Tanking in the NBA isn’t just about securing favorable lottery odds. Around playoff time, some teams get accused of tanking their final round of games in order to land a favorable spot on the bracket. The Denver Nuggets have recently faced those allegations.

Following the Nuggets’ 128-118 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night, the head coach, David Adelman, sent a clear message on the allegations.

“We’re not ducking anybody,” the head coach told reporters, according to the Denver Post’s Bennett Durando.

Before the Nuggets reached Sunday’s action, Adelman addressed those who wanted the Nuggets to find a more favorable first-round opponent.

“I’ll be honest, there’s so much unknown. I think people need to calm down with, ‘Let’s play the Lakers.’ If Luka comes back and feels good, do you want to play Luka Doncic? Like, I think you’re messing with the game when you think that,” Adelman told reporters last Friday.

“Us and Minnesota, it’s been a crazy back-and-forth over the years. They swept us last year, but then we beat them three out of four this year. We always know it’s competitive with them. They’ve given us issues. We’ve given them issues. Obviously, Houston, I mean, they’re playing so well right now. I think they’ve won seven or eight in a row. There’s no good opponent in my opinion. I think you just have to play it out with decisions that are best for your team. We feel like tonight, this is the best decision.”

The Nuggets Will Face The Timberwolves

The stage is set for round one between the Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

as Adelman mentioned, the Nuggets and the Timberwolves faced each other four times this season. The Nuggets snapped a four-game winning streak for the Wolves back in October. That fired up a three-game winning streak over the Timberwolves.

In their latest outing, which happened on March 1, the Timberwolves came out on top with a 117-108 win.

Holding a 3-1 record over their opponent is clearly a confidence-booster for the Nuggets. At the end of the day, last season’s sweep means nothing. So does the 3-1 series win against Denver this year.

The slate is wiped clean, and the playoffs are an entirely different game. Adelman and the Nuggets are clearly motivated to take care of business against whoever is in front of them. The Timberwolves will get a shot at one of the Western Conference’s hottest teams down the stretch.