Halfway through the fourth quarter of Friday’s win over Cleveland, Nuggets coach Michael Malone took a long walk down his bench, indifferent to the defensive possession that was playing out a few feet behind him.
When he arrived at Bones Hyland, who’d checked out of the game only moments before, Malone put both hands on his point guard’s shoulders and spoke with him the entire possession. It was an animated conversation that was more important than whatever was happening on the court and a rare public moment of relationship tending.
Hyland had been effective, particularly in the fourth quarter, when he attacked his mismatches, swerved around Cleveland defenders in transition, and helped shepherd the second unit until Nikola Jokic could return to the game.