Stephen Curry has only come off the bench 10 times in his career. An anomaly, a novelty that has been repeated in the opening duel against the Nuggets for only the fourth time in the playoffs. A decision that Steve Kerr announced before the game and that responds to the care that has to be made of the base’s physique, injured last March and whose recovery has been focused at all times at the beginning of the final phase. The plan has gone well for the Warriors, who have opened with victory against Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets. It is the first playoff victory for them since 2019, when they lost to the Raptors in the Finals., the last of his vast dynasty. Now, three years later, they are looking for a new opportunity. And it all depends on the most repeated argument in recent years: its stars have to be healthy.
Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Curry himself met again on a basketball court in the playoffs, also for the first time since 2018. And he also played, another wink for nostalgics. And the first game the Warriors play in the finals at the Chase Center, after leaving with that bitter end the longed for Oracle that has given so many historical moments. In the Orlando bubble, injuries and moves through (the departure of Kevin Durant in the lead), they did not participate. And last year they fell into the play-infirst against the Lakers (away) and then against the Grizzlies (at home). A poor balance in two seasons that have served for Klay Thompson to recover from his long absence and the gears can return to work in an at least acceptable way.
The Warriors broke the game in the second and third periods, when they scored a spectacular 64-43 run. No answers beyond Nikola Jokic and with the absence of Jamal Murray (who was on the bench dressed in fatigues), the Nuggets will have to face this series from the defense or they will not have any chance: they received 123 points in total, more than 30 in the last three quarters and more than 25 in all of them. They also allowed the Warriors to shoot nearly 46% from 3-point range and to exceed, of course, 50% from the field. The ball circulation of the locals was fantastic (33 assists) and they also won the battle under the hoops (41-35). In other words, the Nuggets can’t win the series this way. It is impossible.
And, among all this, Jordan Poole emerged. He was the hero of the Warriors just as he has been in many starkly absent games for Steve Kerr’s team: 30 points with 9 of 13 in field goals and 5 of 7 in triples, a formidable and spectacular performance with very few failures and a lot of security. Curry, who played just over 20 minutes still with restrictions in that regard, scored 16 points, Klay scored 19 with 5 of 10 triples and Draymond scored 12, with 6 rebounds and 9 assists, versatile and versatile in parts. same. Only Poole exceeded 30 minutes of play (30:06), another good news for a Kerr that he will want to keep his players fresh at all costs in playoffs that, he knows, can be very long. And the connection with the public was as good at the Chase Center as it was at the Oracle in its day.
Jokic’s performance was the usual, although the Serb’s apathy was greater than at certain moments of the regular season: 25 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists for the center. Will Barton went to 24 points (10 of 18 in field goals), Monte Morris to 10 and Bones Hyland to another 10. Little thing of the quartermaster, contradictory minutes of DeMarcus Cousins (7 + 2 + 2 in almost 10 minutes and expelled with two techniques), with good offense but difficulties to protect the zone and a supine inferiority in a game in which they came to go losing 24 points and made up the result at the end. Mike Malone will have to do internal reflection to avoid the free triples and the easy baskets and take the game to fewer points to be able to scratch a victory and be able to put fear into the body of the Warriors. And, in the middle of all the mess, Facundo Campazzo served his sanction. there is that.
