Post game: Denver runs over Warriors early, fends off comeback
Golden State's depth didn't help, but they made it interesting
After trailing by as many as 20 points, the Golden State Warriors showed a ton of fight and grit, but ultimately couldn’t come all the way back. The Denver Nuggets got loose in the first and second quarter, feasting especially hard in the 2nd when coach Steve Kerr tried a front court lineup with without Kevon Looney or Draymond Green that withered under the pressure.
It’s a long season. Be chill.
But there’s no quit in this Warriors squad! Some late heroics and a resilient team approach made it real interesting at the wire. That the game even came down to a single possession game is a testament to the backbone of the Champs - who somehow managed to get up a game-tying three from Klay Thompson at the end of regulation (which missed).
It’s only game two, and I think it’s safe to say that Kerr and his staff will be combing through the clues as if he was Columbo. Or maybe you don’t need a ton of analysis here. The Warriors got railroaded without Green on the court. There’s a very good reason that the team puts up with his bumps and mis-steps. Green remains one of the Warriors’ most important elements on a nightly basis.
Oh well. Wasn’t meant to be. As always, please come back through DNHQ tomorrow for more coverage. The Warriors have the day off before an early 5:30 tipoff against the Sacramento Kings.
Two years ago, Curry had a legitimate argument for MVP, but voters apparently rejected the idea of someone on play-in team winning the award.
Last season, his shooting numbers were off his lofty standards and he missed time because of the injury.
Voter-fatigue, especially after B2B MVP’s, seems to be a real thing. This likely puts Joker out of the running.
Do we think a healthy Steph with a season like two years ago win it if the Warriors finish top 3 in the west, or is he at the stage Lebron hit where the voters are looking for new guys like Luka to anoint?
After the finals and “What are they gonna say now?”, it seemed like there were a lot of flowers and “top 10 all-time” discussions, but will that carry over into people realizing he’s still killing it. I’d think all the national game coverage after winning the ‘chip would keep him in the discussion.
Man I’m excited to see what a fully engaged Draymond will look like throughout the season. With something like 11 or 12 teams with sufficient cap space I think someone throws a Max or near max at him in the off-season (health willing)