Malone: Nuggets have 'gotten away from who we are' amid losing streak
Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone was forthright in his evaluation of his team's performance after they suffered a fourth defeat in a row, this time to the Toronto Raptors.
"Maybe we've gotten a little soft with success," Malone said after Tuesday's 125-110 loss, according to ESPN. "We've been on cruise control for so long, No. 1 in the West since like Dec. 15. I just told our players we've gotten away from who we are."
The Nuggets also dropped contests to the Brooklyn Nets, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls. Over that stretch, Denver possesses the worst defensive rating in the league at 125.2, allowing teams to score 100 or more points in five straight games and 120 or more in the last three contests.
Denver conceded a Raptors franchise-record 49 points in the opening quarter Tuesday.
"Right now, we're just in chill mode, and you can't be in chill mode with 13 games to go in the season," Malone said. "We've got to try to find a way to get our swagger back."
The Nuggets' offense also sputtered, ranking 18th in offensive rating over the four-game streak.
Denver will have a chance to snap its losing streak Thursday against the Detroit Pistons, the 15th-placed team in the Eastern Conference.