Warriors take Nuggets’ best punch, grab 3-0 lead

DENVER — Forward of Thursday evening’s Recreation 3, Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone vowed to “go down swinging” within the NBA playoffs in opposition to the Golden State Warriors whereas looking for some struggle inside his crew.

The Nuggets, after being pummeled within the first two video games of the primary spherical, confirmed essentially the most struggle and life they’ve had all collection, and but it wasn’t sufficient because the Warriors squeaked out a 118-113 victory in Denver to go up 3-0 within the collection.

“It’s important to really feel this sort of adversity and stress on the highway,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “You have to execute. It is good for our crew to have this expertise and are available by as a result of we’re going to be feeling it once more, particularly on the highway.”

Added Draymond Inexperienced: “When a crew is down 2-0, they arrive out and provide you with every thing they acquired in that Recreation 3. If you’ll be able to take that punch and are available out with a win, you exit in Recreation 4 and you bought to take a punch or two, however you set your self up properly.”

There have been a number of performs that would qualify because the game-sealing play for Golden State on Thursday evening.

With 34.7 seconds left and the Warriors up 5, Inexperienced compelled Nikola Jokic into his fifth turnover of the evening — the fourth compelled by Inexperienced — when he tipped the ball from Jokic’s grip because the reigning MVP tried backing him down.

“On the primary dribble when he hit me, I felt like I nonetheless had good inside positioning,” Inexperienced mentioned. “After which he took the second and it was distant from his physique. I am already pondering proper there, ‘If he takes on extra dribble, I am stabbing at it.’”

At that second, Inexperienced had 5 fouls. When requested if that made him nervous, Kerr mentioned, “Yeah. However I am not going to take him out.”

Inexperienced mentioned he did not hesitate to go for the steal and danger getting his sixth foul.

“That is cash time,” he mentioned. “That is when you have to dig deep. You cant play the final 4 minutes of the sport apprehensive about fouling out. I am going in opposition to Joker. I’ve to be keen to make use of all six of my fouls sooner or later within the recreation. … However I am unable to begin taking part in timid as a result of I decide up my fifth foul.”

Though Inexperienced has excelled at his defensive project on Jokic this collection, he admitted that Jokic “acquired the most effective of me” in Recreation 3.

Jokic had his greatest recreation of the collection Thursday evening, ending with 37 factors on 14-of-22 capturing to go together with 18 rebounds, 5 assists and three steals. With Inexperienced as the first defender, Jokic had two turnovers and went 8-of-13 from the ground. General this collection, Jokic has shot 13-of-36 (36%) from the sphere when guarded by Inexperienced in contrast with 21-of-30 in opposition to each different Warriors defender.

Inexperienced has additionally compelled six turnovers when defending Jokic. That’s tied for essentially the most turnovers by a participant in opposition to a single defender this postseason. Brooklyn Nets ahead Kevin Durant has dedicated six turnovers when guarded by Boston’s Jayson Tatum.

“He is acquired a lot confidence defensively,” Kerr mentioned. “He is aware of how you can use his items. He is extremely fast and robust and he is aware of the benefit he has utilizing his pace and leverage. Jokic is so troublesome to deal with. He will get to wherever he desires, and as soon as he will get to his spot and turns and shoots, he is acquired unimaginable contact.”

When enthusiastic about the play that doubtless sealed the win for the Warriors in Recreation 3, Malone mentioned it is not Inexperienced’s steal that involves thoughts however a play that occurred a couple of minute and 45 seconds earlier.

With the Nuggets trailing 112-111, Stephen Curry pulled up for a 3-point shot a number of ft behind the arc. It rimmed out, however as Jeff Inexperienced, Will Barton and Monte Morris circled the paint for the rebound, the Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins flew in to seize the offensive board.

“That was only one the place you play good protection and the shot is taken and also you type of get guys simply ball watching,” Malone mentioned. “And it is acquired to be a ball that we provide you with in that sort of recreation.”

Wiggins tossed the ball again to Curry, who discovered a wide-open Jordan Poole within the nook. Poole handed up the open shot and completed with a reverse layup as a substitute, placing the Warriors up by three with 2:15 to go.

Poole referred to as Wiggins’ rebound a “enormous” play.

“We do not get that bucket if he would not get that rebound,” Poole mentioned. “Wiggs got here up enormous.”

Wiggins had checked again into the sport with 4:27 left, which Kerr mentioned was all the time a part of the sport plan. Up till that time within the fourth, Kerr stored Andre Iguodala within the recreation as a result of he had made “a number of good performs in a row.” However as quickly as the sport shifted and the Warriors knew they wanted extra offense, they went again to Wiggins.

It was a transfer that shortly paid off. Wiggins hit a go-ahead 3 with 3:05 left, placing Golden State up for good. Kerr referred to as it the “shot of the sport.”

The Warriors additionally acquired massive performances down the stretch from Curry, Poole and Klay Thompson, who completed with 27, 27 and 26 factors, respectively, making them the primary Warriors trio to every have 25 factors in a playoff recreation since Recreation 3 of the 2017 NBA Finals (Curry, Thompson and Durant).

Poole can also be the primary participant within the shot-clock period to common 25 factors and an 80% efficient subject purpose share by the primary three video games of a postseason.

“The enjoyable half is seeing Jordan on this for the primary time,” Kerr mentioned. “He continues to play properly. That is his third straight playoff recreation the place he is actually accomplished an excellent job pulling down pictures and making performs.”

The Warriors have now received a highway recreation in every of their previous 24 playoff collection (a league document), which is each collection Curry, Thompson and Inexperienced have performed collectively.

“That is what it is all about,” Inexperienced mentioned. “There is no such thing as a higher feeling than going into an opposing crew’s constructing and you’ll shut the group up. It would not get a lot better than that. There is no such thing as a higher feeling in sports activities than going right into a hostile atmosphere, their crowd into it — yelling, screaming — and finally you come out with the win.”