Nuggets clinch second-consecutive Northwest Division title

With all of the growth and success the Nuggets have achieved over the past two seasons, it’s easy to take a Northwest Division title for granted. Michael Malone, however, does not.  “I feel that we have the toughest, deepest division in all the NBA and to be able to have back-to-back division championships is something we're proud of,” the Nuggets head coach said prior to the Nuggets’ 124-121 loss to the Lakers Monday. “To do it in a very deep and talented division with a young roster and all of the things we had to deal with this year, I think our players deserve a tremendous amount of respect.  Winning a second-straight division crown continues the impressive upward trajectory the Nuggets have embarked upon since Malone’s arrival. In his first season as Denver’s head coach, the Nuggets won 33 games. Over the past two campaigns, the Nuggets have emerged victorious in 100 out of their last 152 regular season games, good for a .657 winning percentage. The team has also developed a culture that has seen several young talents blossom under Malone and his coaching staff’s tutelage, including Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and this season Michael Porter Jr. and Bol Bol. Despite all of those accomplishments, Malone made it clear Monday that his expectations are higher for this postseason.  “We have much bigger goals than just winning a division championship,” Malone said. “So we’re going to be excited about it [winning the division], but by no means are we going to celebrate because we still have a lot yet that we want to do.