Malone’s suspension highlights bizarre day

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.» Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr. got a text around 3:30 Monday afternoon from boss Michael Malone, informing Unseld that he would make his NBA head-coaching debut that night and requesting a meeting with the staff to finalize the game plan.

As starting shooting guard Gary Harris prepared to board the team bus to the Golden 1 Center, Malone broke the news that he would not be joining his players for their matchup against the Sacramento Kings.

The NBA announced Monday afternoon that Malone was suspended for one game without pay for his actions toward the officiating crew that led to his ejection from Sunday’s loss at the Los Angeles Lakers. The Nuggets’ starting lineup was also in flux, with power forward Paul Millsap (sprained wrist) and small forward Wilson Chandler (lower back pain) both ruled out against the Kings.

In short, it was a bizarre day in Sacramento for the Nuggets even before they took the floor against the Kings.

“It was kind of a scramble,” Unseld Jr. said before the game. “But at that point (it was), ‘All right, we have to move forward.’ ”

Malone and Denver star center Nikola Jokic were both issued double technicals and ejected about midway through Sunday’s second quarter. After no foul was called when Jokic was bumped in the back and fell to the floor while attempting to tip the ball into the basket, he argued with an official. Malone then charged the court as assistants attempted to hold him back.

The league determined Monday that Jokic’s punishment was too severe, rescinding the ejection fine issued because he “properly received a technical foul for his actions but should not have been ejected from the game.” But the league felt Malone’s behavior — which was characterized as “entering the court, halting play and making contact with a game official” — was worthy of extra discipline.

After Sunday’s game, Malone said he “deserved to get tossed” but that he believed Jokic “did nothing to warrant an ejection.”

Unseld Jr. acknowledged that being tossed into head-coaching duties on the fly Sunday might be easier than the task facing him Monday, which left more time to dwell or overthink. He opted to start Kenneth Faried in place of Millsap and Will Barton in place of Chandler, then prepared to reconfigure minutes for the Nuggets’ previous logjam in the post.