DENVER – The brighter the lights and bigger the crowd the better, Bones Hyland seems to believe.

When asked Thursday how he’s approaching his first playoff series, which starts Saturday in San Francisco, Denver’s lone rookie didn’t blink.

“I’ve never experienced it on this level,” Hyland admitted. “But I know I’m more than ready, though.”

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Austin Rivers remembered thinking the same before his playoff debut in 2015. He was then a member of the Clippers, preparing to come off the bench and guard San Antonio’s future Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili. With the Golden State crowd potentially welcoming its championship core back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, Rivers is anticipating a hectic atmosphere.

“It’s going to get the better for him at times,” Rivers said. “There’s just no way to explain it other than go through it for the first time. He’s going to play in an environment that he’s never played in before. To double that, he’s going against the Warriors, you know what I mean. I think he thinks he knows, because I remember I thought I knew. I remember my first playoff game was against the Spurs. I was (expletive) panicking right before the game. I was excited, but I was so nervous.”

The message from coach Michael Malone, who briefly campaigned for Hyland to be included on one of the All-Rookie teams, and teammates seems to be simple. They want the same Hyland who averaged 10.1 points and 2.8 assists while making a rookie franchise record 131 3-pointers, on 36.6%, over 69 games played in his first professional season.

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“Don’t change, because it’s the postseason,” Malone said, summing up his message to Hyland. “We need you to be that Energizer Bunny, push the ball, play with great pace, get your teammates involved, make big shots for us and fight and compete on defense. With all that being said, Game 1, he’s going to be looking around saying ‘Wow, I’ve never been here before.’ Experience is the best teacher. He’ll settle down and wind up, I have no doubt, playing great for us.”

Star center Nikola Jokic doesn’t seem to be worried either.

“I think he’s going to enjoy it,” Jokic said. “Just the energy, the fans, I think he’s going to love it.”

Hyland, who started four games and developed into Denver’s reserve point guard in the second half of the season, said he’s not familiar with nerves. While the pandemic prevented him from playing in the NCAA Tournament in his only two seasons at Virginia Commonwealth University, Hyland played well in a couple of big games as a rookie, scoring a season-high 27 points with 10 rebounds in a nationally televised win over the Lakers in January. He also scored 23 points against the reigning Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns in March.

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The Wilmington, Delaware native said the final games of the regular season, when the Nuggets were trying to avoid the play-in tournament, felt like what he imagined the playoffs would be like. Saturday, he’ll find out for sure.

“I go into the game with a lot of confidence, because I know my work always shows for itself,” Hyland said. “I’ve never been a shy kid or a kid who’s nervous for any moment. I always said I’m ready for the bright lights. That’s something I never shy away from. Saturday, a night game, I can’t wait.”