Sending LeBron James to his earliest playoff exit turned out to be more challenging than initially anticipated, and Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone doesn’t foresee the next phase of their title defense becoming any easier, especially with formidable opponents like Karl Anthony-Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Anthony Edwards awaiting them as the Minnesota Timberwolves come to the Mile High City for the start of their second-round series.

Malone expressed relief that the Nuggets won’t have to return to Los Angeles to close out the Lakers and can instead focus on rest and recovery after a hard-fought series. In that series, they often found themselves trailing before ultimately overcoming the Lakers, who they beat in Game 5 with another clutch performance from Jamal Murray.

The series victory against the Lakers, despite the 4-1 scoreline, was far from easy. The Nuggets were behind by double digits in the first four games and faced a nine-point deficit in Game 5 before rallying to win.

“They’re not an easy out,” Malone remarked, acknowledging the challenge posed by the Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. “We did not want to get on that plane going back to L.A. And so now we can try to get ready for Saturday against a beast in Minnesota,” he added.

Reflecting on the series, Malone credited the Lakers for putting up a strong fight, emphasizing that the series was much tougher than the final score might suggest. “Man, that was a hard-fought series, a lot harder than 4-1 might indicate because we had to scrap for every game that we won in this series,” Malone concluded.

The Timberwolves are coming off their first series victory since 2004, marking the first sweep in the franchise’s history.

“Credit to Minnesota, they handled their business,” remarked Malone.

Similarly, the Nuggets also faced challenges, despite standout performances from players like Murray, Jokic, and Porter Jr., who exhibited consistent excellence amidst personal struggles involving family issues.

Although management initially intended for Murray to rest due to a strained left calf, Murray’s determination led him to contribute significantly to Denver’s series-clinching win.

Jokic praised Murray’s ability to make tough shots, expressing confidence in him during crucial moments.

Despite facing adversity, including injuries to starters like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets managed to secure victory against a resilient Lakers team, which proved more formidable this year compared to their previous encounter in the Western Conference finals.

Looking ahead, the second-seeded Nuggets prepare to face the third-seeded Timberwolves, who provided a tough challenge in last year’s playoffs despite facing roster setbacks due to injuries.

The Nuggets displayed improvement in long-range shooting in their recent game, sinking 16 3-pointers and holding the Lakers to fewer points in the paint compared to previous matchups.

Malone emphasized the need for further improvement, acknowledging the upcoming series against the Timberwolves as a formidable challenge, with expectations of a hard-fought battle and potential revenge motivation from the Timberwolves following last season’s playoff outcome.