The Nuggets became the league's first team ever to overcome 3-1 deficits in consecutive series two years ago when they bounced the Jazz and Clippers.
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The Denver Nuggets avoided an unceremonious first-round sweep when they beat the highly impressive Golden State Warriors 126-121 on Sunday to make it 3-1 in their playoff series.
“Can I say we want them right where we want them? No, but we’re alive,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “We live to fight another day.”
While none of the 143 teams who faced a 3-0 deficit in the 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 Jazz and Clippers in the Orlando bubble.
Nikola Jokic, who is the candidate for MVP said, “The odds are against us. But we’ve beaten the odds a couple of times, so why not?”
Jokic scored 37 points and 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.
“We felt like it could have been 2-2 if we didn’t drop that last game,” said Rivers, who noted the Nuggets finally matched the Warriors’ physicality, especially down the stretch.
Morris finished with 24 points. He hit five 3-pointers in the third quarter, the most in a quarter by any player in these NBA playoffs.
Aaron Gordon dropped 21 points and helped stifle Jordan Poole who could only muster 11 points.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors in scoring with 33 points, 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.
“It’s the worst feeling in the world, missed free throws,” Curry said. “It’s what I do really well.”
Klay Thompson scored 22 of his 32 points after picking up his fourth foul in the final second of the first half. He finished with five fouls.
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Steve Kerr said it was still a “great experience” for the players on his team who haven’t been in close-out playoff situations.
“We needed that,” Kerr said. “I felt like we got completely away from the game plan tonight in the first half, because I think we were almost too anxious to win the series.
“But the focus now goes to heading home and the back in front of our fans” with a chance to close it out at home, Kerr said.
“So, we’re right where we need to be.”
Klay Thompson said the Warriors need to be loose ones in Game 5, playing as though their season was on the line, not Denver’s.
“We got to go with the attitude like all right, it’s a must-win,” Thompson said. “We’d like to have some rest before the next series.”
