On Friday, the Nuggets turned the primary group in NBA playoff historical past to win a Recreation 3 by a margin of 27 factors after dropping the primary two video games at house.
Denver head coach Michael Malone’s group broke the earlier file set by the Rockets who dropped two house video games to the SuperSonics within the 1984 West semis earlier than successful Recreation 3 by a 102-84 margin.
Denver’s victory margin of 27 factors might have been greater if Malone hadn’t pulled his starters with slightly over 5 minutes left within the sport, permitting the Timberwolves reserves to eat into the lead. The Nuggets had been up 34 when Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Co. went to the bench.
The Nuggets additionally registered their second-largest highway win in franchise historical past, surpassing their 58-point win over the Hornets within the 2009 playoffs.
From a historic perspective, the chances are nonetheless stacked towards the Nuggets, who’re 0-11 after they concede a 2-0 lead within the playoffs. That is why after Friday’s Recreation 3 win, Malone cautioned his gamers towards letting their guard down and sustaining the identical power for Sunday’s Recreation 4.
“We’re midway there, we bought an extended option to go,” Malone instructed reporters.
If the Nuggets can steal Recreation 4, they’re going to return to Denver with the collection tied at two wins apiece. If that end result got here to fruition, the momentum would have decidedly shifted of their favor.
