Green's triple-double lifts Dubs over Nuggets
The Golden State Warriors’ Splash Trio each had, at least, 20 points and Draymond Green added a triple-double as they got their first win of 2017.
In what could be a preview of a first round playoff series, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets 127-119. It was a tightly contested game from start to finish, but the Dubs’ talent proved to be too much for the visiting team. All four of the Warriors’ All-Stars played well and you’re not going to beat Golden State when that happens.
The Warriors are undefeated when their high-octane trio of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson each score at least 20 points. That continued tonight, for the twelfth time this season. Curry, Durant, and Thompson scored 22, 21, and 25 points respectively.
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Golden State’s fourth star, Draymond Green, did a little of everything. He scored 15 points, dished out 13 assists, and grabbed 10 rebounds for his second triple-double of the season. His last rebound came on the offensive glass as he managed to tip in a Curry miss as he was getting boxed out by a bigger defender.
There was really good balance all around for the Dubs, even outside of the core four. Zaza Pachulia had 11 points and 9 rebounds in just 19 points. JaVale McGee added 9 points and 4 rebounds off the bench in just 8 minutes. Ian Clark was masterful in the first half, making 4/5 shots for 12 points in 15 minutes.
Denver was not intimidated by Golden State and wouldn’t go down easily. Nikola Jokic showed why he’s one of the most exciting young bigs in the entire league as he put all of his skills on display. He punished the Dubs on the block, controlled the glass, spaced the floor, and even ran a beautiful fast break. He had 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists in just 24 minutes.
The Nuggets also had a very balanced scoring attack. Wilson Chandler had 21 points and Danilo Gallinari had 19 points of his own. They had three more players in double-digits.
The Warriors can’t be too happy that they gave up 60 points in the paint or 39 points to Denver’s bench. But they did limit their turnovers to just 13 and had the ball moving for 33 assists. Golden State was efficient from everywhere on the floor, hitting 52 percent of their shots from the field, 44 percent from three, and 76% from the free throw line.
The Nuggets are fighting for the eighth seed so these two teams could meet in the playoffs. If they do, it could be the toughest possible matchup for Golden State in the opening round of the postseason. The Warriors improved to 30-5 and will look to keep rolling against the Portland Trailblazers on Wednesday.