Right after a Game 6 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone reflected on what went wrong. He came to a simple conclusion.

Per NBA TV, watch the coach's postgame press conference. Mike Malone cited how Nuggets turnovers and offensive rebounds for the Spurs led to a 22-4 San Antonio run at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth. He also cited a play when DeMar DeRozan of the Spurs got his own rebound after missing a free throw, which, according to him, summed up the rest of the game.

Indeed, it was a lack of effort by the Nuggets, compounded by a stellar performance by the Spurs' bench, which led to the loss for Mike Malone. Perhaps analysts saw this coming. History says that success in the regular season doesn't always equate to success in the playoffs.

If the Nuggets faced any team other than the Spurs, would the result be different? The Spurs — despite their relatively new roster — are still led by Gregg Popovich. He has proven time and time again that he doesn't need a team full of superstars to be a contender.

Given these realities, Game 7 — beyond its obvious must-win identity within the context of this season — carries more pressure for the Nuggets. As the second seed, losing to the seventh seed will put into question how good their team is.

Mike Malone faces one of the most significant challenges of his coaching career this Saturday night in Denver. That's not an exaggeration. That's a reflection of the reality that Malone hasn't had any experience coaching in a Game 7 against one of the best NBA coaches of all time.