#NUGGETS SCORE SERIES#

#NUGGETS SCORE SERIES#

The NBA has essentially discarded a 31-year-old former All-Star.īut as this series has proven, Cousins still has a place in the league. He's been on four teams in the past two years alone, and didn't even start this season on a roster. In that span, he has somehow managed to play for the Curry-era Warriors, LeBron James Lakers, James Harden Rockets, Kawhi Leonard Clippers, Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks and Jokic Nuggets … without ever winning a championship.

The last four seasons have not been kind to DeMarcus Cousins.

If his team can match Curry's next season, then this could be one of the best series of the 2023 postseason. Even under the circumstances, Jokic stared down a top-15 player of all time in Stephen Curry and was every bit his equal. They couldn't carry him the final few steps they needed to tonight, and their season ended as a result.īut if these teams meet again next season, with Murray and Porter back in the fold and perhaps a few upgrades scattered among the rest of the roster, don't be surprised if the result is different. Jokic carried the Nuggets as far as he possibly could. You could not possibly ask for a better encapsulation of his season. Aside from Monte Morris' garbage-time layup, Jokic was the only Nugget to score in the last eight minutes and six seconds of the game. Instead, he not only returned, he dominated. If he hadn't played another minute the rest of the night, his offseason rest would have been well-earned. He left the game with a hamstring injury. He couldn't carry his teammates any longer. But with his season on the line on Wednesday, his body finally broke. He staved off a sweep in Game 4 with a 37-point explosion. A team that had no business sniffing the playoffs managed to earn a No. and Jamal Murray, had to carry the Nuggets to a historic degree this season. Jokic, playing virtually the entire season without star teammates Michael Porter Jr. The phrasing was perhaps a bit odd considering their opponents from Golden State, but the sentiment was felt through the end of the game, and really, the entire season. 'The guy is the definition of a warrior,' Malone said of the reigning MVP. When Nuggets head coach Mike Malone addressed the media after Game 5, he had nothing but praise for Nikola Jokic. He may be a Nugget, but he's also a warrior Here are the biggest takeaways from Game 5. The Warriors advance to face the winner between the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves. Jokic finished with 30 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists in the loss. However, Denver fell short in forcing a Game 6 and extending its postseason. Michael Malone's Nuggets have had success in the past in elimination games and even overcoming 3-1 series holes.

They're also now 16-1 all-time when holding a 3-1 series lead - the lone loss came in the 2016 Finals. The Warriors clamped down on the Nuggets' offense late, holding them to just 20 points in the fourth and improved to 20-8 in closeout games under Steve Kerr. Stephen Curry finished with a team-high 30 points, while Gary Payton II came up big in the fourth quarter. A loss would drop them to 1-8 in their last two playoff series after being swept by Phoenix in the conference semifinals last season.The Golden State Warriors are moving on to the Western Conference semifinals after beating Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 102-98 in Game 5 to clinch their first-round series. The Nuggets, who have dropped three straight at Golden State dating back to the regular season. But he declined to say whether Curry will start in Game 5. Kerr said Curry has 'no limitations' on his minutes. He was up to 37 minutes in Game 4 and has led Golden State in scoring each of the last three games. The All-Star has come off the bench for the Warriors in each of the first four games, with Kerr steadily increasing his minutes following the foot injury that sidelined him late in the regular season. Golden State won by 16 and 20 points at home in Games 1 and 2. But they nearly squandered a 17-point lead, which doesn't bode well for Denver. ET NEED TO KNOW:Ī late 3-pointer by Will Barton and 37 points from Nikola Jokic helped the Nuggets to a 126-121 win in Game 4. Not fouling, letting the game flow is big advantage for us.' 'It's a lot tougher to play against physicality when every possession is in the half court,' Kerr said. He also thinks not letting Denver be as physical as it was in Game 4 will be key. Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes playing a closeout game for the first time in two seasons was beneficial to his team, even though it lost. Golden State's Game 4 loss at Denver on Sunday denied it a sweep over a Nuggets team that dropped each of the first three games. (AP) The Golden State Warriors enter Wednesday in need of one more win to wrap up their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.

Nuggets score