ATLANTA — Even MVPs need a little affirmation from their coaches sometimes, maybe. Or maybe the Nuggets’ last two games were just a brief glitch in the cheat code that is Nikola Jokic.
After Jokic’s second consecutive poor shooting night Friday in Denver, Michael Malone checked on his star center “to make sure that he is not losing any confidence — which knowing him, I know he won’t,” Malone said. “But I want to make sure he’s not.”
That conversation might as well represent the overall state of the defending NBA champs after a rare three-game losing streak.