Oakland, Calif. – Before the Denver Nuggets (14-20) took the court against the Golden State Warriors (30-5), coach Michael Malone wondered aloud whether his young team would be able to handle its first road game against the West’s best squad.
“Can we be poised under pressure and adversity and hang in there?”, Malone asked. “Because we’re going to need to be able to do that tonight.”
Malone knew that the loaded Warriors had three players that could easily “go off for 40, 50 or 60,” and his concern was how would his squad handle it.