After a crazy few days that saw both their head coach and general manager dismissed, the Denver Nuggets began a new chapter under interim coach David Adelman.
Denver responded with a strong performance, defeating the Sacramento Kings 124-116 on the road. Leading the charge was Nikola Jokic, who notched his 33rd triple-double of the season with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists.
The victory came shortly after a decision by team ownership to part ways with longtime head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth. The organisation reportedly hoped the move would spark new energy in the locker room ahead of the postseason.
Jokic, who had worked under Malone his entire NBA career, admitted he was informed of the firing early by owner Josh Kroenke.
“I knew a little bit before everybody,” Jokic said after the game. “And he told me, ‘We made a decision.’ So it was not a discussion. It was a decision. He told me why. And so I listened. And I accepted it. I’m not going to tell you what he told me. I’m going to keep that private.
“I mean, when someone wants to make [a personnel change] or change energy, that’s probably what they do,” he said. “In my country, if someone get fired, [the] word is probably you are the next [one to go]. … I mean if you want to change something, that’s how [they] do it, and the owner wanted to do it.
“I texted to him. It was a 10-year relationship, so it was heavy day for everybody, probably especially for him and his family. But I would say it’s part of the business.”
Malone’s tenure included a historic championship in 2023 and a record of 471-327.
"Denver now improves to 48-32 this season. They've claimed fourth place in the Western Conference standings."
Recap: https://t.co/bUxV5gRPt6#MileHighBasketball | #KeepClimbing pic.twitter.com/AuYiPlUkyM
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 10, 2025
His dismissal came with just three games left in the regular season.
According to reports, tensions had built between Malone and Booth over issues like the development of younger players, which contributed to a growing disconnect within the organization.
Adelman, who has spent the past eight seasons as a Nuggets assistant, took the reins and guided the team to an immediate win.
Speaking on his former boss, Adelman had high praise: “What he did for this team, best coach in history,” he said. “Can’t argue it. Percentage-wise, wins, Finals, championship. The experience he gave me, eight years allowing me to grow as a coach, all the guys on this coaching staff that are here, we’ve been together for a long time.
@I look at it as a hell of a run, and [Malone’s] not done. So honored to work for the guy and honored to take this seat and do the best I can.”
The Nuggets, now 48-32, are clinging to fourth place in the Western Conference and still have games remaining against the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets.
They remain within striking distance of a top playoff seed but could still slip into the play-in tournament depending on results.
