The Golden State Warriors came closer than any road team to picking up a victory Saturday, but Andre Miller's layup with one second remaining gave the Denver Nuggets a 97-95 victory in Game 1 of their series.
Warriors vs. Nuggets: Andre Miller carries Denver
Andre Miller’s ‘old man game’ helps the Nuggets win Game 1 at the buzzer.
For more on the story, visit Denver Stiffs or Golden State of Mind
The layup capped a season-best effort from Miller, who scored 28 points with five assists in 27 minutes off the bench. His game-winner came just seconds after Stephen Curry had hit a contested three-pointer to tie the score.
Miller’s layup was a result of a matchup advantage.
"Miller finished the game with 28 points on 11-16 shooting to go along with five assists (and one made three-pointer)," wrote Nate Timmons of Denver Stiffs. "When rookie Draymond Green lined up to defend Miller tight on the perimeter - you knew the veteran was going all the way to the cup and he finished in beautiful fashion to seal the win."
Curry finished with 19 points for the Warriors, Klay Thompson scored 22 points and Andrew Bogut had nine points and 14 rebounds. Despite the loss, the Warriors played well in the first playoff game for many on the roster. Bogut's presence, in particular, helped the Warriors tremendously.
“The Warrior who really stepped up tonight was Andrew Bogut, and it’s reflected in his +10 differential for the night, highest on the team (Curry was +8, everyone else except for Draymond was negative),” wrote Evanz of Golden State of Mind. “Bogut played 31 minutes of staunch defense (except JaVale’s thunderous 180 windmill-from-a-standstill-dunk over him), picking up 14 rebounds and four blocked shots (Klay had three himself, btw). Bogut was the difference-maker in this one, keeping the Warriors in the game, when it otherwise might have turned into a blowout.”
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