This time around, it was the Denver Nuggets who were on the wrong end of the free-throw disparity in Game 4 on Thursday, as they suffered a 114-108 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers. After the game, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone could not help but take a savage shot at the Purple and Gold for their earlier decision to make a formal complaint to the NBA about the free-throws.

Malone hinted that he too might now have to make a formal approach to the league:

Malone clearly was being sarcastic with his statement here, but there's no denying that he has a valid point.

In Game 3, the Lakers took just 22 attempts from the stripe, as opposed to Denver's 29. They reportedly approached the league to inquire about the disparity, but no further details were provided about how that played out.

In Game 4, however, it was the Nuggets who drew the short end of the stick. They took just 23 free-throws in this one, while the Lakers made 35 trips to the line. To make matters worse, LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 26 attempts between the two of them, which is three more than the entire Nuggets squad.

Malone was clearly unhappy about this, which is what prompted the savagery from his end.

That's all water under the bridge now, and the Nuggets are now down 3-1 in the series. They've been in the exact same position twice before, but mounting another miraculous comeback is going to be a tough, tough ask against a powerhouse Lakers side.