When Michael Malone peers down the sideline toward the opposing bench, he doesn’t see the Timberwolves coach everyone is familiar with.
He sees someone even more familiar.
Malone has always carpooled to work with assistant coach Ryan Bowen, but it used to be a three-man ride share during the first three seasons of Malone’s tenure in Denver. Back then, the flights home had a tendency to immediately follow a loss. The Nuggets weren’t a playoff team. Micah Nori brought critical equilibrium to the drive home.