The Denver Nuggets faced a window of opportunity to take the first place in the Western Conference after the Golden State Warriors went 2-3 in their first five games since the All-Star break, but the head coach Mike Malone has faced some adversity of his own, now mired in a three-game skid after a one-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

“This is good for us,” said Malone, according to The Associated Press. “As much as we hate to go through it, losing three in a row, this kind of failure, if we're willing to learn from it, can be a positive. Let's see what kind of fight we have, let's see what kind of resolve we have.”

The Nuggets faced a 19-point deficit in the first quarter and were forced to play catch-up for most of the game, as a 34-point fourth quarter proved too little too late to take the game to overtime and have a chance to win.

“We lost the game in that quarter in my opinion,” Malone said.

Denver didn't give up, constantly trying to break through a sturdy Spurs defense that has been symbolic of their last two playoff pushes, this year and the last.

“We hit back, but it was a little too much to overcome,” said Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who scored 25 points in the outing.

The Nuggets now find themselves two games behind the West-leading Warriors, but could make the most of this little slump as a learning experience heading into the playoffs.