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The big man of Nuggets have a astonishing performance to force game 5
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Steph Curry to start Game 5? Warriors should consider it
DENVER — The Warriors have been putting off the inevitable over the last week as Stephen Curry worked his way back from a foot injury that sidelined him for a month.
Curry, who came off the bench for the fourth consecutive game Sunday, previously said it was his decision to not start — one that he came to after watching Klay Thompson return earlier this season from injuries — so he didn’t have to sit for long periods of time between playing.
But as Curry put together another outstanding off-the-bench performance in Game 4 on Sunday, it’s clear that the eight-time All-Star is more than ready to be re-inserted back into the starting lineup.
And the Warriors, who lead the best-of-seven series 3-1, should seriously consider it, beginning with Game 5 on Wednesday.
After a slow start where he missed his first five shots, perhaps in part due to the fact he was put in earlier than expected with Klay Thompson running into early foul trouble, Curry scored a team-high 33 points, his second highest scoring performance of the postseason, while shooting 43.5% from the field in 37 minutes, the most he’s played in the postseason yet.
Curry was especially clutch down the stretch, tallying 15 of the Warriors’ 32 fourth-quarter points. That includes a stepback jump shot that gave the Warriors a two-point lead with 1:21 remaining in the game.
“Everything I’ve been doing has been progressing in the right direction,” said Curry, who finished the third quarter and played the entire fourth without getting fatigued. “My wind was solid. So I’m excited about where I’m at and looking forward to the next game.”
Coach Steve Kerr said Curry was “very close” to being cleared to play without restrictions before Sunday’s game. His 37 minutes — which Kerr said he was “perfectly comfortable” with — makes it clear that Curry has enough stamina to return to the starting five, which could happen as soon as Wednesday.
Before that happens, however, Kerr will have to make a very difficult decision: Who will Curry replace in the starting lineup?
The two likely options are breakout star Jordan Poole or iron man Kevon Looney.
Poole has made a convincing argument to remain in the starting lineup as he’s been one of the Warriors’ most reliable scorers over the last seven weeks. He set a high standard in his first three playoff games, scoring a combined 86 points on an efficient 66.7% shooting over that span. But Poole struggled in Game 4 with the Nuggets’ stifling defense. He scored just 11 points — his lowest output since Feb. 27 — on a shaky 3-of-10 shooting.
Moving Poole to the bench could impact the third-year guard’s confidence and rhythm, though he’d never admit that. After starting in place of the injured Thompson at the beginning of the season, Poole struggled when his role changed with the three-time champions’ return.
Nuggets vs. Warriors score, takeaways: Nikola Jokic gets help from supporting cast as Denver forces Game 5
The Denver Nuggets live to fight another day, hanging on to beat the Golden State Warriors, 126-121, on Sunday to force a Game 5 back in San Francisco. Nikola Jokic was the orchestrator on offense, as usual, putting up 37 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but he received plenty of help, with huge plays from Monte Morris, Aaron Gordon and Will Barton down the stretch.
After trailing by as many as 17 points, the Warriors made a valiant comeback behind 33 points from Stephen Curry and 32 from Klay Thompson. They struggled to execute on both ends, however, after Draymond Green fouled out with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Andrew Wiggins added 20 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks for Golden State.
Outside of Jokic, the story was the Nuggets' hot shooting. As a team they went 15 for 31 from 3-point range, led by Morris, who made five of his seven attempts from long distance. Rookie Bones Hyland made three straight 3-pointers during a big stretch in the second quarter and Will Barton made the game-clinching 3 from the corner with eight seconds left.
The Warriors will now look to advance to the second round in front of their home crowd in Wednesday's Game 5, as the Nuggets attempt to extend the series.
Here are a few takeaways from Sunday's game, followed by a recap of our live updates.
1. Jokic gets helpJokic averaged 29.3 points, 13 rebounds and five assists over the first three games of the series, but he had yet to receive enough aid from the supporting cast to eke out a win. That changed on Sunday, as pretty much every Nuggets role player stepped up with a clutch shot or two -- first to help build the big lead, then to fight off the Warriors comeback. The biggest contributor was Morris, who went shot-for-shot with Thompson and made all five of his 3-pointers in the first eight minutes of the third quarter.
He also made one of the biggest shots of the game in the fourth quarter, when the Warriors decided to play a box-and-one, with Kevon Looney on Jokic to prevent him from making a play. After getting a screen from Jokic, Morris recognized that instead of dropping, Looney stayed with Jokic, leaving the middle wide open. Morris got to his spot and hit a tough floater to give the Nuggets a two-point lead.
Gordon also made a clutch mid-range jumper over Green late in the fourth quarter, and of course Barton knocked down the clincher off a Jokic pass to put the nail in the Warriors' coffin.
If the Nuggets were going to stay in this series, they needed the role players to step up. They did that on Sunday, and forced a Game 5.
2. Poole party gets crashedIt was bound to happen, but after averaging 28.7 points in his first three career playoff games, Jordan Poole finally came down to Earth. He struggled his way to 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting, including 1 of 5 from 3-point range to go with three turnovers. He was effective as a facilitator, however, dishing out nine assists.
"They were more physical with him tonight ... That's to be expected," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game. "Teams are gonna start throwing a lot of stuff at him, including physicality, trying to get under his skin a little bit."