Playoffs: Timberwolves fans ousted after altercation with Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone in Game 3

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone had a heated discussion with a couple of Minnesota Timberwolves fans during Game 3 of West semis. Defending champions Nuggets registered a blowout 117-90 victory after losing the first two games at home and the loss might have prompted the fans to get involved more than required.

“He didn’t like my haircut, and I told him that I like my haircut,” Malone said about the altercation, via the Denver Post. “And we just kind of went from there.” The fans were eventually escorted out of the arena.

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“That happens at times in a hostile environment, and people get a little liquid courage I guess sometimes,” Malone said. “And they think they can just say whatever they want to anybody. And I’m not allowing that to happen.”

“Listen man, these fans here are great,” Malone added. “I mean, that was an amazing atmosphere. You live for moments like that and opportunities like that, to go out there and perform when you’ve got 20,000 people screaming at you. But unfortunately there’s always gonna be people that want to get a little bit more involved in the game, and make it personal. And that’s unfortunate.”

As for the game, Denver showed the calibre of defending champions for the first time in the series. For Denver, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray scored 24-points each while Aaron Gordon dropped 13 and Michael Porter Jr. managed 21.

For the Wolves, Anthony Edwards was once again the highest scorer with 19 points but it wasn't enough. The game started with Denver taking eight-point lead in the first quarter after outscoring Minnesota 28-20. The Nuggets again dropped 28 in the next quarter while the Timberwolves could manage only 21.

The defending champs, already ahead by 15 points at the start of the second half, added 12 more points to their lead after outscoring Minnesota 37-25 n 3Q. The final 12 minutes were just a formality with both teams scoring 24 each and the Nuggets winning the game by 27 points.