From the podium following his team's second straight loss to open a second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone's first four words were accurate.
"They kicked our ass," he told reporters.
The Wolves did not just beat the defending champions in Game 2. "We got embarrassed in front of our fans," added Malone, whose team takes its deficit to Minnesota for Friday's Game 3 (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Teams trailing 2-0 in a seven-game series have won 7.8% of the time (27-319). That number has doubled to 15.