SAN FRANCISCO – Earlier than Friday’s sport towards the Nuggets, with playoff positioning nonetheless unsettled, Warriors coach Steve Kerr stated each night time feels just like the postseason.
If that’s the case, then Golden State made the case that it was prepared for a attainable playoff sequence with Denver when it romped over the Nuggets 118-104 at Chase Middle.
Recent off a six-game highway journey that took them from Atlanta to Los Angeles over a two-week span, the Warriors seemed thrilled to be enjoying of their first residence sport since March 20.
Steph Curry scored 36 factors, Nikola Jokic had 33 factors, 9 assists and 12 rebounds, Jimmy Butler put in 19 and Brandin Podziemski scored 26. The Warriors improved to 13-0 with the beginning lineup of Curry, Butler, Draymond Inexperienced, Moses Moody and Podziemski.
The Warriors (46-31) stayed the fifth seed within the Western Convention, a sport in entrance of sixth-seeded Memphis (45-32) and the No. 7 seed Minnesota (45-32) within the standings. Denver (47-30) remained the third seed.
Coming off a nationally televised showdown with the No. 3 seeded Lakers on Thursday night time, Golden State’s protection seemed sluggish to start out.
Denver’s offense was unstoppable within the first quarter, piling up 44 factors and making 17 of 24 photographs. Whether or not or not it’s Draymond Inexperienced, Quinteen Put up or Gui Santos, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic turned them into defensive visitors cones on his approach to 15 factors and three assists whereas Denver took a 44-34 lead.
He confirmed nice chemistry with Archbishop Mitty legend Aaron Gordon, who scored eight within the interval and 15 within the sport, totally on cuts behind a Golden State protection targeted on Jokic.
The sport turned within the second quarter, when Golden State started the interval with a 9-0 run with Jokic on the bench.
Later within the second quarter, Curry went on a tear. He cut up a double workforce with a pump pretend earlier than knocked down a shot that left him shimmying in entrance of the Nuggets protection.
The Warriors had been simply getting began.
A minute later, Jonathan Kuminga sliced baseline on a pointy lower that left the Nuggets in his wake and with a 53-51 Warriors lead on the Chase Middle scoreboard.
Curry continued to maintain the strain on Denver within the closing minutes of the half, making one other deep triple and floating in a brief shot to assist in giving him a 19-point first half.
After going scoreless within the second quarter, Jokic turned it up within the third, pumping in 16 extra factors. However the Warriors offense continued to hum alongside.
Podziemski, coming off a 28-point night time in Los Angeles, made quite a lot of midrange jumpers on Friday night time whereas additionally making 4 3-pointers.
Main 96-84 coming into the fourth quarter, Butler scored the primary 5 factors of the interval to provide Golden State a 104-91 lead. The Warriors led by double-digits for the whole fourth quarter to shut out the win.
The Warriors have a day without work earlier than enjoying host to second-seeded Houston (50-27) on Sunday.
Initially Printed: April 4, 2025 at 9:24 PM PDT
