NBA Playoffs 2013, Nuggets vs. Warriors: Golden State wraps up series in 6 games

Several of these shots -- as I have chronicled here and here -- were as a result of bad Denver breakdowns. But many more came because Curry is capable of scoring in ways nobody else in the NBA can. We knew he could make high degree-of-difficulty shots -- witness the 54-point performance at Madison Square Garden -- but to do it on the league’s biggest stage when his team was the underdog in the series is a level of special I didn’t think he could reach. We’ll be remembering Curry’s shooting performance for a long, long time.

To commemorate it, here are my 10 favorite Curry field goals from the six-game slate, plus a few others worth remembering.

The Nuggets fell behind the Warriors after leading throughout the first half, trailing by as many as 18 after the third quarter. But Golden State had ten fourth-quarter turnovers, coughing up what looked like a sure victory. Two free throws by Kenneth Faried with 32.4 seconds left brought the Nuggets to within two.

Following a timeout, the Warriors committed yet another turnover on the inbounds pass. Denver pushed the ball up court, but Wilson Chandler missed two shots at the rim that would have tied the game. Golden State recovered the ball and Jarrett Jack eventually made two free throws to ice the game.

The Nuggets led by as much as 11 through the first half, but lead by just two going into the second half. Rodger Sherman took a look at three keys to the game, which all appear to be going the Nuggets’ way.

The Nuggets weren’t particularly physical with Curry, but he started the game going one-of-six from the field for six points. Denver was engaged defensively, moving as a unit and forcing the Warriors into tough shots. Denver’s defense was active, but not physical. They did a great job of closing out on shooters and playing tight defense without allowing Golden State to break them down. Sound defense from Denver through the first two quarters.

The news represents a sharp turn for Lee, who was ruled out for the playoffs by the Warriors one day after suffering the injury in Game 1 of the series. Despite the apparent seriousness of the injury, Lee was told he did not need surgery, which may help explain this sudden change in his status.

It’s not clear how much or even if Lee will play. The Warriors have thrived despite his absence, winning three straight games using a smaller lineup before falling in Tuesday’s Game 5. Nevertheless, the return of the All-Star forward, even for a few minutes, could do wonders to lift Golden State’s spirits in a closeout game at Oracle Arena.

Golden State-Denver has quickly turned into the best series in the playoffs. It’s exciting, as most of the games have been down-to-the-wire. It’s aesthetically pleasing, as there’s running, gunning, and oodles of threes. And after Game 5, both teams are virulently angry at each other. Grab the popcorn, guys.

Now we’ve got a war of words, and Denver will try to stave off elimination one more time -- and they’ll have to do it in Oracle Arena, one of the loudest in the league when the fans are hyped. They’ll assuredly be hyped Thursday night.

In the interview posted as a video by CBS Sports’ Eye on Basketball blog, Karl said -- tongue in cheek or not -- that he respects the Warriors’ young players.

But when prompted to speak on Ezeli “blossoming into his role,” Karl’s words got muddled.

Per Denver Stiffs:

Faried has been at the center of the physical play. He said he felt like his team was roughed up through the first three games of the series, and after kicking a hole in the Warriors’ visiting locker room, he said that he’s only tried to match that play -- without being dirty, of course.

1. Did the Nuggets do anything out of the ordinary with Curry?

2. If so, how do we classify those actions? Are they in any way justifiable? Is Jackson’s own team engaging in similar behavior, as the Nuggets allege?

All of these accusations led to plenty of reactions from the fans as well, with both sides naturally having a different take on it. SB Nation’s Warriors blog Golden State Of Mind says that while the Warriors have likely doled out as many cheap shots as the Nuggets, it’s nice to see the team show a little fight after being considered soft for the past few years:

SB Nation’s Nuggets blog Denver Stiffs thinks that Jackson’s comments could be a sign that the Warriors may be on the verge of unraveling, which would certainly be a positive for Denver. They also posit that Jackson is appealing to the officials and will be hoping for the whistles to go the Warriors’ way in Game 6 back at Oracle Arena:

In a press conference after the game, Jackson went on the offensive, citing a first-quarter screen set on Curry around his injured ankle as one example of Denver’s methods.

“They tried to send hit men on Steph,” Jackson said.

Another reoccurring theme was Denver getting to seemingly every loose ball. After suffering a couple of tough breaks early in the series, it seemed the Nuggets would somehow end up with the ball in their hands whenever it was up for grabs, especially in the first half as they came out with plenty of energy.

Game 6 is scheduled for Oracle Arena on Thursday night at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Many criticized the Nuggets for not being aggressive enough during their trip to the Bay Area, and that seemed to change from the opening tip tonight. Denver has done a nice job distributing the ball and getting after it on the defensive end, not allowing the Warriors to have wide open looks from deep. As a team, they’re holding Golden State to just 38.5 percent from the field, including 5-of-13 from behind the arc.

Prior to Game 5, Rodger Sherman asked a couple of key questions for tonight’s game.

It’s been magical. Teams aren’t supposed to play this well offensively for this long, and even the Nuggets, not a team that lacks for scoring, are scuffling and wheezing as they try to keep up with the prolonged barrage.

Game time/TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colo.

Odds: Denver opened as -7.5 favorites

But a lot of it is also bad Denver defense.

The one thing Denver could hang their hat on: the above screenshot was Curry’s only first-half field goal. As the Nuggets rallied in the third quarter, Curry still had been stymied.

Much like they have all series, Denver struggled to hold down a Golden State offense which has been in the zone the last three games. After allowing 95 points in Game 1, the Nuggets have allowed 118.7 points per game in Games 2-4. The Warriors shot 55.7 percent in Game 4, while doing damage from beyond the arc and in the paint. Golden State made 11-of-26 from deep and had 48 points in the paint to just 36 for Denver.

Compounding the Nuggets’ defensive issues were an abundance of turnovers. Denver turned the ball over 23 times on Sunday, which led to 33 points for Golden State. The turnover problems were at their worst in the second quarter, when the Nuggets coughed it up nine times and allowed the Warriors to build a 56-44 halftime lead.

Curry had taken just three shots in the first half and appeared visibly slowed by the ankle injury. He admitted to TNT that the ankle was really bothering him and that he had taken a painkilling shot before the game to help cope. Warriors head coach Mark Jackson pulled Curry on several occasions in the first half and admitted that he was close to shutting down his star guard due to the early struggles. Jackson stuck with Curry though, and his decision was rewarded.

Curry’s third quarter performance was certainly something to behold, as he made seven-straight shots at one point. That stretch included four three-pointers, including one heat check that sent the already frenetic Oracle Arena crowd into bedlam. He finished the quarter 8-of-11 overall and 5-of-8 from three, with one of the misses being a half court heave at the buzzer. Here’s Curry’s shot chart from the third:

Curry took just three shots in the first half, although he did have five assists and three steals. He made several earlier than usual trips to the bench, leading some to believe there was something seriously wrong with the ankle. However, Curry would not let the injury bother him, and his third quarter shooting display helped blow open what was a close game. The only thing that would slow Curry in the second half was a shot to the eye that forced him to the bench for a few minutes, but he would return as the Warriors cruised to victory.

The game started as a back and forth affair, with the two teams needing a few minutes to find a rhythm. Bogut enjoyed some early success despite two fouls, making hay down low with eight quick points and several thunderous dunks. Landry came off the bench and immediately made his impact known, knocking down a couple of jumpers and scoring six points in the first quarter.

Kevin Zimmerman looked at three keys heading into this crucial Game 4.

The Warriors have had a lot of success scoring in the paint and from beyond the arc this series, so the Nuggets need to limit at least one of those areas in order to get into it. Denver has not had much success doing either, as Golden State has 28 points in the paint while shooting 4-of-10 from deep.

So what will be the keys for the Nuggets to tie the series versus the Warriors putting themselves on deck for a first round victory?

The Nuggets have been giving up points in the paint and three-pointers. To be successful, they need to cut off one of those sources of Golden State’s points. The best scoring team in the paint during the regular season, Denver allowed 52 points in the paint to their 54 in Game 3, making one of their usual advantages negligible. The Nuggets won the battle 50-44 in a Game 2 loss, and in their Game 1 win had more significant 52-40 advantage.

Randolph is getting his first playoff action since the Warriors drafted him back in 2008, three teams ago. Randolph can block shots, rebound and clean up around the rim. But man, he can derp the night away. His goaltend was among the worst in recorded history -- seriously, find me a worse one -- as the ball was clearly on a downward trajectory and was going to miss both short and wide right. He goaltended an errant floater that would have gone out of bounds if he had only not been there. I mean, look at this thing.

Chandler was good in Game 3, hitting a couple of crucial shots and picking up enough boards to help prevent another total glass disaster for Denver. But when he grabbed the Nuggets’ own rim on a fast break in which the ball was popping around the cylinder and almost certain to fall through ... and the Nuggets lose by two? Guh.

It was a fitting end to a game that featured a plethora of highlight-reel plays as a result of a the fast-paced environment the teams perfected in Game 2, which saw the two teams combine for 248 points.

Game 4 of the series will take place on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

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Will the Warriors’ high-scoring ways be enough to hold off the Nuggets at Oracle Arena, or will the Nuggets adjust their defense?

With both teams shooting over 50 percent from the field there weren’t many rebounds bouncing around the court, but the Warriors still managed to out-rebound the Nuggets, 36-26. With both teams scoring at such high percentages, cutting down extra possessions and pushing the pace in transition become key factors for either side.

Mike Prada previously broke down the many ways the Nuggets’ defense lost track of Curry in Game 2. Curry took three-point field goals that were “practically a layup” for the league’s top sharpshooter. When Denver keyed in on Curry, however, he made the right play and orchestrated the Warriors’ offense, picking apart Denver’s disorganized defense.

If the Nuggets are going to take Game 3 at Oracle Arena, tightening up their defense on Curry needs to be their top priority.

If his teammate is to be believed, we shouldn’t be too worried:

Curry said on Thursday that if Game 3 had been played Thursday night, he wouldn’t have been able to go. But ankle injuries respond weirdly and change rapidly: Tuesday night, Curry was fine to re-enter the game and finish the job he started, but Wednesday morning, he reported pain. We’ll see what effect 36-plus hours have on Curry, who is pretty essential to the Warriors’ hopes of taking a 2-1 lead over the Nuggets.