PHOENIX — The Denver Nuggets have lived a charmed life relative to everyone else in these playoffs, with no injury issues and very little in the way of being tested — looking very much like a clear favorite to get out of the battered Western Conference for the first time in franchise history.
Head coach Michael Malone knew, though, a storm was a’coming in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns.
“Things have gone really, really smooth. And adversity is coming,” Malone said before the game, knocking on the dais as he spoke.