It’s not a secret that the Denver Nuggets need Nikola Jokic on the floor.

They’ve built a solid squad and have a plethora of talent around him, so they could win multiple games without him but not an NBA championship.

Notably, coach Mike Malone may have just realized this, as he recently claimed that he cracked the code as to how to win this series.

Michael Malone might've figured out the series-winning formula pic.twitter.com/7SrPE9hVA4

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 8, 2023

The Nuggets coach jokingly said that the winning formula was to have Jokic on the floor for the entire second half, stating that he may not give him a second of rest in the second half for the remainder of the series.

Jokic was on the floor for a whopping 44 minutes, resting just four minutes in the whole contest.

He was spectacular in his time on the court, torching the Miami Heat’s defense for 32 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists, two blocks, and one three-pointer on 12/21 from the floor.

Jokic has established himself as the most unique offensive force in the league.

He’s the ultimate triple-threat player, as he can shoot from all three levels, drive, or kick it out to an open teammate with his elite passing skills.

There’s a chance someone might eventually figure out how to stop him, but that may not happen in the next couple of games.

The Nuggets are just two wins away from winning their first championship in franchise history.

It’s been a physically exhausting season, but Jokic and company will have plenty of time to relax and restore their bodies once they finish the job.

The post Mike Malone Says He May Have Figured Out Winning Formula For Nuggets appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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While the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry has long been the most passionate in baseball, the fiery disdain of 20 years ago has given way to mutual respect, if not ambivalence. But why?



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On Wednesday, the St. Louis Cardinals came into their series finale against the powerful Texas Rangers riding a five-game losing skid.

They also owned the worst record in the National League.

And so, they turned to right-hander Jack Flaherty hoping to stop the skid.

Flaherty received a no-decision, but gave the team six scoreless innings, marking the first quality start by a Cardinals starter since Miles Mikolas’ eight-inning gem against the Kansas City Royals.

An eighth-inning home run by Alec Burleson put the Cardinals in front, where they would stay for a 1-0 win.

On Twitter, the Cardinals celebrated Flaherty’s strong outing with a cool graphic featuring the right-hander’s line against Texas.

Need a shutdown start? There's Jack for that. #STLCards x @ANG_Recruiting pic.twitter.com/xJUioCHC3A

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 8, 2023

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The young right-hander allowed just three hits over six scoreless frames and managed to strike out eight Rangers hitters.

The only downside was the fact that Flaherty walked five batters.

However, that didn’t deter him as he played the role of stopper for the Cardinals in a key spot, as he helped them snap their skid and gain a game on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Wild Card race.

Flaherty owns a record of 3-4 this season.

With his six scoreless innings, the 27-year-old lowered his ERA to 4.15 on the season.

He also has struck out 72 batters over 69.1 innings of work in his 13 starts this season.

The Cardinals banked heavily on Flaherty returning to his 2019 form.

So far, the young right-hander has performed well, save for one start against the Los Angeles Angels, where he surrendered 10 runs.

Since then, he has looked more like his old self, and he certainly performed like the ace he was intended to be on Wednesday.

The post Jack Flaherty Stepped Up In Key Spot For The Cardinals appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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