The Denver Nuggets managed to prevail this Sunday to the Golden State Warriors by 126-121 in a match that they were forced to win, due to the 3-0 down they suffered in the tie.
They dominated the game with solvency until the last minute when Stephen Curry put two points ahead of his and in which the differential factor, in addition to the 37 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists from Nikola Jockicwas the good work of his coach, Michael Malone, when designing the final plays.
With the atmosphere of ‘playoffs’ the meeting was lived, although with many away fans in the stands thanks to those Warriors who won three rings in four years (2015, 2018 and 2018) and who started hard.
First minute and slap by Draymond Green, when trying to steal the ball, in Nikola Jokic’s right eyewith a subsequent clash with power forward Aaron Gordon that ended in technique for both.
In this environment, the Californians moved better, with a 13-6 start thanks to two triples in a row from a Klay Thompson that, however, his contribution in the first half ended there. Four fouls in the first 24 minutes left him with little prominence.
After the early faults of the escort Stephen Curry entered, again substitute, and missed four shots in a row; which was a premonition of the first part of theirs.
The Nuggets slowed down the initial pace, that it did not favor the usual game of its star, current MVP and candidate to repeat this season, Nikola Jockic. The Serbian imposed his basketball to sign 18 points in the first quarter, for the 21 that all the Warriors scored.
Steve Kerr, due to Andre Iguodala’s misguidance, chose to give prominence to the rookie Jonathan Kuminga, who signed good minutes in the regular season but that in the previous games his role was residual. Despite his good minutes, contributing in defense and finishing thanks to his privileged physique, the differential factor in the first half was in the Nuggets.
Also a freshman Bones Hyland made three triples in a row coming off the bench and gave his team a 17-minute lead with only 15 minutes played. The Warriors were making the rubber, without being able to reduce the distance of double digits and going to the break 63-52 down.
Jordan Poole, star of what we have been in qualifying with 86 points in his first three playoff games lost three balls; Stephen Curry, who is shooting 92.3% from the free throw line this season, missed two in a row.
Four of 15 in triples and the only good news for the Warriors in the first part, apart from the 3-0 lead in the tie, was that Draymond Green, after a run-in with DeMarcus Cousins, he got rid of his second technique and the consequent expulsion.
The break did not change the tone of the match, it seemed the start of the match with a Klay Thompson who took on gallons. Two seasons later, after a knee and Achilles tendon injury, he showed his desire for the ‘playoffs’. 13 points in a row to put his team to seven, butlooked like Monte Morris with 15 in his lockerafter not scoring a basket in the first half, to leave things as they were.
Kerr’s men always found an answer to their comeback attempts, until a last quarter in which the Nuggets showed personality not to give up, for 3-0 and after, finally, let go the maximum of 17 points advantage they had, with 1:47 to go.
Draymond Green, with a +20 on court, was expelled for foulsbut Stephen Curry appeared to give his team an advantage, the first since the first quarter.
However, with the stars on the track, it was the good work of the local coach, Michael Malone, which determined the encounter. He drew two plays to attract assists to a Jokic who finished 37 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists – and find the advantage.
For his part, Kerr, with two down on the scoreboard, raised a strange play hanging the ball on Andrew Wiggins and lost it to Austin Rivers, five steals in the match.
After the timeout, it was Will Barton’s turn, who released in the corner after Jokic’s pass scored the triple that made it 126-121 final and that keeps the Nuggets alive in the tie (3-1).