Closeout games are a different animal to deal with, and that's what Michael Malone and the Denver Nuggets have on their plate after winning three of the first four games of the 2023 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. The Nuggets, who can finish the series and bring to Denver its first-ever NBA title as soon as Monday night, got a major pep talk from Malone prior to Game 5, hoping that his words will add more fire to his team.

The Nuggets have been nothing but dominant in the series against Miami, and the expectation by many is that Denver is going to get the job done this Monday in front of a large home crowd at Ball Arena. That is going to be easier said than done, considering how stubbornly great the Heat have been all playoffs long, notwithstanding the fact that they have won only one game so far in the Finals.

With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in the Nuggets' fold, Malone has every reason to believe that his team can take care of business in Game 5. With Jokic and Murray surrounded by quality role players who have been stepping up big time in the NBA Finals like Aaron Gordon and Bruce Brown did in Game 4's 108-95 Denver win in South Beach, there's no stopping Denver from believing that the NBA title is there for them to take. Winning it at home should be a sweet feeling like no other for Malone, the Nuggets, and the legion of Denver fans.