DETROIT — On the side of the tunnel nobody could see, two exiles who were last seen making a scene before exiting through said tunnel in states of indignant calm now stood waiting together. Their earlier expressions were replaced with giddy smiles, like they had plotted it this way from the beginning.
They hadn’t, though.
Michael Malone and Nikola Jokic greeted the Nuggets with high-fives and hugs as players and coaches walked off the court late Monday night at Little Caesars Arena, following a 107-103 Nuggets win over the upstart Pistons.
The head coach and star player were reduced to hype men, so they embraced it.