Former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who was released by the team with only three games left in the regular season, has joined ESPN’s coverage team for the Western Conference Finals.
After the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 114-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 on Tuesday night, Malone made a notable comment about the NBA MVP race. This was interesting because Malone coached one of the top MVP candidates, Nikola Jokic, just over a month ago. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is seen as a leading MVP contender, scored 31 points and recorded nine assists in the game.
Speaking on SportsCenter after the game, Malone said Gilgeous-Alexander “showed why he’s the MVP” while analyzing the match. Gilgeous-Alexander’s main rival for the MVP award is Nuggets star and three-time NBA MVP Jokic. Malone was likely praising Gilgeous-Alexander’s strong start to the series. However, many in the basketball community focused on Malone’s specific choice of words.
During the regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged a league-high 32.7 points per game. He also averaged 6.4 assists each game. Jokic, on the other hand, averaged a triple-double for the first time in his 10-year career, posting 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder now prepare for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals at home on Thursday, holding a 1-0 lead in the series.
