Golden State Warriors had almost shunned out Denver Nuggets from their NBA Playoff series but the host team did not budge this time. Nuggets beat the Warriors on Sunday night with a score of 126-121 and avoided a series sweep. The tally is now 3-1.
With Playoff victory hopes still alive for Nuggets, coach Michael Malone said that the team “will live to fight another day.” He added, “Can I say we want them right where we want them? No, but we are alive”, Associated Press reported.
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Nuggets center Nikola Jokic stole the show by adding 37 points for his team, in addition to eight rebounds and six assists. He also fed Will Barton for a 3-pointer from the left corner with 8.3 seconds left after Monte Morris’ short jumper broke a 121-all tie and Austin Rivers stole Otto Porter Jr.’s pass.
Steph Curry led the Warriors with 33 points despite missing 13 of 23 shots, going 3 for 11 from long range and missing four free throws for the first time in his career, whether in the playoffs or the regular season.
Curry’s jumper gave Golden State a 121-119 lead, but Jokic’s finger-roll layup tied it back up and Andrew Wiggins missed a dunk at the other end as the Warriors went scoreless over the final 80 seconds, Associated Press reported.
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Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors will now meet on Wednesday night for game number 5 of their playoff series. While Nuggets would once again struggle for survival and extend the series to seven games, the Warriors will seek to wrap it up with a victory.
Will it be historic, or would history repeat itself?
None of the 143 other teams who faced a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs ever bounced back to advance, the Nuggets became the league’s first team ever to overcome 3-1 deficits in consecutive series two years ago when they bounced the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers in the Orlando bubble.