Following a 98-90 Western Conference semi-finals Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone did not hold back his feelings when answering a "dumb" question asked by a reporter.
During the postgame interview, a reporter simply just asked, "How hard is it to just absorb a loss like this after going ahead by 20?"
"Next question, man," Malone responded. "The season is over, that's what's hard. F*** being up 20, the season is over, you got to understand that, the season is over. It's hard."
Then under his breath the Nuggets coach was heard saying, "stupid a** questions."
So it appears Malone answered the question, "how hard is it?" by saying "it was hard," but the reporter should have maybe asked a followed up question, such as, what degree of hard, on a scale of 1-10? Surely then, Malone would have happily obliged to give a response, and then we could know for sure.
The Nuggets were up 58-38 one minute after coming out of halftime. So you would think being a close out Game 7 on their home floor, the defending champs may run away with the win in blow-out fashion. However, the Timberwolves, started getting some stops, and rallied back going on a 21-3 run, making it a one point game heading into the fourth.
"Started hitting some shots, playing defense," Karl Anthony-Towns said in response to the comeback. "I think this was just a real showing of Timberwolves basketball at its finest, where it's a team effort... we don't have a big 3, we have a big 15. This game just shows, that the Timberwolves, not Karl Anthony-Towns, not Anthony Edwards, not Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves are a special team."
Including this series, only 83.7% of teams have rallied back after being down 3-2 in a series. Moreover, when looking at just Game 7's alone, the away team only won 25.8% of the time. To point out in the Eastern Conference semi-final round, the Indiana Pacers also overcame a 3-2 deficit and won a Game 7 on the road vs. the New York Knicks.
In the postgame show on TNT's Inside the NBA, Charles Barkley told Edwards, "I have not been to Minnesota, in probably 20 years."
Which Edwards responded, "Bring ya a**."
The final four teams in the 2024 NBA playoffs are set, as the Timberwolves will host the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals round (5/22 8:30 pm ET). Then the Pacers will take on the Boston Celtics (5/21 8:00 pm ET) in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Edwards was also asked about his thoughts heading into the next round.
"It's going to be fun. My matchup is going to be Kyrie, so that's going to be fun. We gonna see what I can do vs. him."
To note, the Timberwolves had a 3-1 regular season record vs. the Mavs this year.
Related: Anthony Edwards Told Nuggets' Staff: 'I'll See Y'all For Game 7'
