SAN FRANCISCO — Coach Steve Kerr all of the sudden faces a playoff conundrum: begin Stephen Curry once more for Sport 2 of the playoffs for Golden State and transfer Jordan Poole again to the bench or stick to what labored so nicely within the opener and be further cautious with Curry.
’Yeah, we’ll cross that bridge once we come to it,” Kerr stated, smiling.
Poole shined in his playoff debut with 30 factors, staying within the beginning lineup as Curry returned from a foot harm, and the Warriors smothered Nikola Jokic to beat the Denver Nuggets 123-107 on Saturday evening in Sport 1 of the first-round collection.
For now, Curry certain had a blast watching Poole and Splash Brother Klay Thompson do their factor from the opening tip.
“I've no expectations on what’s subsequent as a result of we’re at all times making an attempt to determine this out as a result of that is sort of a tricky state of affairs to take care of by way of the short ramp up that I’ve had and it is a playoff-type depth and ambiance,” Curry stated.
Wholesome finally, Thompson returned to the playoff stage for the primary time in practically three years following two critical accidents and scored 19 factors with 5 3-pointers.
“Jordan Poole, wow, what a playoff debut,” Thompson stated. “… He’s simply unbelievable. What a star within the making.”
The perimeter mixture of Curry, Poole and Thompson proved an excessive amount of for the Nuggets — with Poole acknowledging “it’s fairly deadly.”
Jokic had 25 factors and 10 rebounds for Denver, going through stifling protection within the paint from Draymond Inexperienced and Kevon Looney whereas capturing 12 for 25.
Jokic credited each of them for making his photographs powerful.
“They've the instruments. I believe I missed a few straightforward ones, however I believe that they had been defending me very well,” Jokic stated. “So I should be higher. I simply must at the very least make the layups and straightforward photographs.”
Sport 2 within the best-of-seven collection is Monday evening at Chase Middle — which hosted its first playoff sport since opening in fall 2019. Followers acquired black T-shirts studying “Gold Blooded.”
Curry got here off the bench to contribute 16 factors in 21 minutes after lacking precisely a month with a sprained ligament in his left foot. The 2-time MVP examined it in a scrimmage Thursday, got here off the bench and had a minutes restriction. He checked in on the 5:58 mark of the primary quarter to a rousing ovation.
Curry missed his first 5 photographs earlier than a layup that went in on a goaltending name in opposition to Aaron Gordon 1:14 earlier than halftime, then knocked down a 3 from the highest of the arc because the Warriors took a 58-47 lead on the break.
Golden State received its ultimate 5 video games to finish the common season and stored rolling.
“Give them credit score. It is a very proficient group with large playoff expertise. I believe the important thing stretch was the top of the second quarter,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone stated. “You don’t need to play from behind on this constructing in opposition to this group.”
Jokic averaged 28 factors, 15.8 rebounds and eight.8 assists within the 4 matchups with the Warriors, three received by the Nuggets however just one by double digits. However Inexperienced hadn’t confronted Denver this season, so his addition was big.
“You're feeling it. He stepped it up a notch,” Poole stated of Inexperienced. “Being our chief, we feed off his vitality.”
Inexperienced hit a 3 from the highest over Jokic with 1:47 left within the third, then the Nuggets star dedicated a turnover moments later as Gary Payton II capitalized with a basket that put Golden State up 89-68.
Inexperienced wound up with 12 factors, 9 assists, six rebounds and three blocked photographs for a Warriors group that misplaced final yr within the play-in spherical to Memphis and is again within the playoffs for the primary time since dropping the 2019 NBA Finals in six video games to Toronto.
That was Thompson’s final playoff sport, when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee that required surgical procedure earlier than he tore his proper Achilles tendon in November 2020 and had that repaired — costing him greater than 2 1/2 years till he got here again in January.
Gordon and Thompson had been hit with double technicals on the 6:25 mark of the second.
“We will’t beat ourselves and the Warriors in the identical sport,” Malone stated, “and we did that tonight.”
Post a Comment