Inside The Nuggets

Michael Malone's Russell Westbrook, Jamal Murray Statement After Nuggets-Thunder

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone spoke after losing to the OKC Thunder.

Joey Linn

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Ball Arena.
Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Ball Arena. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The Denver Nuggets opened their NBA season on Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This game was a battle between the top-two seeds in last season’s Western Conference standings, but it was not the competitive matchup it projected to be.

Oklahoma City ran away with this game, winning by a final score of 102-87. All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 28 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds to lead the way for the Thunder.

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic finished with a triple-double, tallying 16 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds. While it was a solid final line for Jokic, neither he nor several of Denver's best players were at their best.

It was the bench unit for Denver that especially struggled. With some new pieces, head coach Michael Malone may need to work through what combinations he likes the best, and he spoke on one pairing in particular after the game.

Asked about the Russell Westbrook and Jamal Murray duo, Malone said via Harrison Wind of DNVR, “I think Russ and Jamal have the potential to be really good together… The more they play together, the more comfortable they're going to get playing off each other."

Westbrook and Dario Saric are the two new rotation pieces the Nuggets added in free agency, but there are other changes to the team this season as well. 

Christian Braun is a full-time starter for the first time in his NBA career, and 22-year-old guard Julian Strawther is getting his biggest rotation opportunity as a pro. Some of these changes will be an adjustment for Malone on down, but the Nuggets head coach likes the potential of Westbrook and Murray on the floor together.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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