Despite the absences of injury of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Christian Braun, the defense of Denver jumps at the Warriors throat and the duo Aaron Gordon-Michael Porter Jr. (21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) gives them the advantage (15-8). Stephen Curry then wakes up his team and a 14-6 puts the Warriors ahead of the score (22-21).
Unfortunately for them, they waste six balloons, Jimmy Butler (23 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists), Jonathan Kuminga (13 points) and Kevon Looney miss six free throws in a row, and the nuggets rush into the breach by finishing the first quarter on an 8-0 (29-22).
A 6-0 led by the Jimmy Butler trio-Gary Payton II (18 points)-Draymond Green then stammered Golden State, but with Russell Westbrook on the baguette and Michael Porter Jr Bouillant, Denver replied with a 15-1 to take fifteen points ahead (44-29)!
Curry and Butler try to relaunch the machine a second time, but the lack of defensive withdrawal reduces the efforts of the Warriors. A 3-point of Aaron Gordon just before half-time keeps the Nuggets at +12 (62-50).
Aaron Gordon on a cloud
The trend remains the same on the return from the locker room. Russell Westbrook continues his harvest of Caviars and Aaron Gordon, in Bulldozer mode, makes all its power speak near the circle (73-61). Stephen Curry (20 points, 6/21 shots, 7 assists, 7 lost balloons), which has more lost balloons (6) than baskets marked (5) so far, manages to find his teammates near the circle but each time the Warriors return to 9-11 points, Aaron Gordon then Russell Westbrook do far away to keep their opponent (86-73). Jonathan Kuminga and Jimmy Butler bring Golden State under the ten -point mark. In the process, Buddy Hield has an open shot to return to -6. He sends a brick and, opposite, Vlatko Cancar does not flank to keep Denver Serein (89-77).
Back to the wall, Jimmy Butler increases his intensity. He causes two mistakes, plunges on the parquet to recover a ball, will seek two offensive rebounds in Forceps on the same possession but the Warriors leave empty -handed! Behind, Russell Westbrook delivers two new assists and the Nuggets go to +15 (94-79)!
Too little, too late for the warriors
Jimmy Butler is offering then. He made a decisive pass and marks five points in a row to launch an 11-3 of Golden State (97-90). In the process, Jonathan Kuminga provokes two lost Balloons by Russell Westbrook and the Warriors are suddenly at -3 in a boiling chase center (97-94)!
Mike Malone's men let the storm pass and Aaron Gordon resumes his site. He stops the hemorrhage before catching the 16th offensive rebound of his team in a Warriors forest to go up and put Denver at +9 with less than five minutes to play (103-94). Golden State then tries it all and returns to -6 with a counter attack to return to -4, but Stephen Curry sends an alley -oop for … nobody, rather than going to lay -up.
Logically, Aaron Gordon and Russell Westbrook, monstrous, end the job for the Nuggets. Denver does the right operation, while the Warriors do not benefit from the defeats of Minnesota and Memphis.
What to remember
– The Aaron Gordon festival. Uncertain before the meeting, Aaron Gordon scored 25 of his 38 points in the second and third quarter to allow the Nuggets to go away and keep the Warriors remotely. The winger did what he wanted, whether near the circle (6/9), halfway (4/8), and 3-point (4/6). While Golden State managed to return to -3 in the middle of the last quarter, it was he who made the difference to offer victory to his team. His 38 points are his point record in a match this season, and he established it at the best of the moments for Denver.
– Russell Westbrook in the oven and the mill. In 42 minutes of play, Russell Westbrook alternated the very good and sometimes the very average. He missed 13 of his 18 shots and lost 7 balloons, but he put his mark on the meeting with his 16 assists. He notably dissected the defense of Golden State with 11 caviars in the first half to put all his teammates to orbit. The playmaker also caught 12 rebounds and scored 12 points to record his 203rd triple double in his career.
– Stephen Curry and the Warriors upside down. From the first minutes of the match, the Warriors looked next to their pumps. They lost six balloons in the first quarter, shot 1/8 to three points, and 1/7 on free throws! Like Stephen Curry who ended the meeting with more lost bullets (7) than baskets marked (6), they could never recover. Nuggets also took advantage of an nonexistent offensive withdrawal to score 18 points in counter attack in the first half. They also played their templates to dominate the battle of the rebound (53-38) and register 18 points out of 18 offensive rebounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvpo8o0gzwk
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How to read the stats? Min = minutes; Shots = successful shots / tempted shots; 3pts = 3-point / 3-point attempted; LF = Successful free throws / tempted free throws; O = offensive rebound; D = defensive rebound; T = total rebounds; PD = assists; FTE: Personal faults; Int = interceptions; BP = lost bullets; CT: against; +/- = Differential points when the player is on the field; Pts = points; EVAL: evaluation of the player calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
