SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry had a lot to shimmy about Monday night in the Warriors’ dominant 126-106 win over the Denver Nuggets.
After missing his first five shots in Game 1, Curry showed no signs of rust in Game 2 in front of an electric crowd at Chase Center. Starting off the bench for his second straight game as he comes back from a foot injury, Curry made his first shot after entering the midway through the first quarter and scored 11 points during his second-quarter stint.
At one point during a commanding Warriors’ run in the first half, Curry worked his magic through the lane, twirling between Monte Murray and Nikola Jokic for a driving layup to give the Warriors their first lead of the game.
As the Nugget called a timeout to regroup, Curry emphatically yelled something along the lines of “I’m back” at the crowd.
“Just starting to find rhythm,” Curry said of the moment after the game. The eight-time All-Star said he didn’t feel like he had “real flow” in his first game back two nights prior after missing a month with a sprained ligament and bone bruise in his left foot. But the pep returned to his step and his body “felt good” Monday.
“[I] was able to get to some spots, you can make certain shots, feels a little bit different and more normal and more emotion comes out, especially with that layoff, so it was a nice feeling,” he said.
Curry finished with a game-high 34 points in 23 minutes. And while he was on the court, the Warriors outscored the Nuggets by 32 points — a stat that had Draymond Green praising God in his post-game press conference.
“That’s incredible, wow,” Green said as he examined the box score.
The Warriors’ three-guard lineup, of Curry, Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson, was just as lethal Monday as it was in Saturday’s game. Golden State closed out the second quarter on a 22-8 run with that trio sharing the court to give the Warriors a 57-51 lead at the half.
Curry, Poole and Thompson also led an entertaining and at times unbelievable shooting clinic in the third quarter, scoring a combined 31 points as the Warriors outscored the Nuggets 44-30 in the quarter.
Oh, and about that guy, Jordan Poole. He had another outstanding playoff performance in what might as well have been his official initiation into the Splash Brothers family. The third-year guard, who oozes confidence every time he steps on the court and has emerged as one of the Warriors’ most reliable scorers this season, went 5-of-10 from 3-point range, just like Curry. The 22-year-old finished with 29 points and eight assists.
“Under the circumstances given that this is a playoff game and the importance of the game; for him to follow up Game1 where he was great with another game like this, some of the flurries out there tonight reminded me of his teammate who came off the bench a little bit,” coach Steve Kerr said, referring to Curry.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) celebrates his 3-point basket and foul against the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) celebrates his 3-point basket and foul against the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) takes a shot against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Damion Lee (1) tries to get a shot off against Denver Nuggets' Austin Rivers (25) in the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) celebrates a 3-point basket by Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) against the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors fans celebrate a basket by Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) against the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) dribbles against Denver Nuggets' Bones Hyland (3) in the first quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) takes a shot against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Jordan Poole (3) takes a shot against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green (23) takes a shot against Denver Nuggets' Aaron Gordon (50) in the first quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Jordan Poole (3) dribbles against Denver Nuggets' Monte Morris (11) in the first quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) takes a shot against Denver Nuggets' Bones Hyland (3) in the first quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green (23) fights for the ball against Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokić (15) in the second quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Otto Porter Jr. (32) defends against Denver Nuggets' Monte Morris (11) in the second quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) tries to get a shot off against Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokić (15) in the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Jordan Poole (3) reacts to a basket by Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) against the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) celebrates his 3-point basket against the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter of Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) leaves the court following their 126-106 win over the Denver Nuggets for Game 2 of the team's NBA basketball first-round playoff series at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
“I never envisioned Jordan playing this well at the beginning of the season… But he’s earned it.”
Poole’s latest showing comes less than a day after he was excluded from the list of Most Improved Players finalists. Asked about the omission Monday, Poole dismissed it and said he had bigger fish to fry.
“Luckily we’re still fighting for a championship,” he said.
And with two commanding playoff victories in their rear-view mirror, it seems like the Warriors are on track to make another run at a title, which would be their fourth in six years.
The Nuggets’ frustrations from Game 1 seemed to boil over to Monday’s contest. Forward Jeff Green, center DeMarcus Cousins and guard Will Barton seemed to get into a heated exchange during a timeout in the third quarter. Nikola Jokic also was assessed two technicals in the second half, resulting in an ejection from the game. His second came in the fourth quarter as he argued with an official over a non-call.
While it initially appeared that Draymond Green was right when he said that Jokic was “coming back with vengeance”, as Jokic drew two quick fouls within the first 1:30 of the game. That doubled the number of Jokic’s free throws from Game 1 before some fans even got to their seats, but the Warriors were able to slow the Joker for the remainder of the game with the team’s suffocating defense, led by Green
Jokic finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds and four assists on 9-of-20 shooting.
Thompson had 21 points on 9-of-19 shooting and Andrew Wiggins added 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in what was another productive performance for the All-Star guard.
The Warriors own a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and are scheduled to travel to Denver later this week, where they’ll play Game 3 on Thursday and Game 4 Sunday.
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