With less than two weeks before the NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets relieved both head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth of their duties.
The shock move, confirmed by ESPN’s Shams Charania, comes after the Nuggets squandered a 13-point lead in front of their home fans in a 125-120 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Denver lost the game despite Nikola Jokic posting another triple-double, ending with a statline of 41 points, 15 boards and 13 assists.
“While the timing of this decision is unfortunate, as Coach Malone helped build the foundation of our now championship-level program, it is a necessary step to allow us to compete at the highest level right now,” Josh Kroenke, Vice Chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, the holding company that owns the Nuggets, said in a press release.
Similarly to Taylor Jenkins, who was relieved of his duties by the Memphis Grizzlies, Malone’s Nuggets have taken a step back defensively. The team still finds offensive production from Jokic, but has plummeted to the 25th ranked scoring defense in the league after ranking sixth last season. The team has allowed 117.1 opposing points per game after only allowing 109.6 last season.
In Malone’s 10 seasons in the Mile High City, he posted a 471-327 record and headlined the most successful decade in franchise history, winning Denver’s first NBA Finals in the 2022-23 season. He led the Nuggets to six consecutive playoff appearances and has a career postseason record of 44-36.
For now, assistant coach David Adelman will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.