The Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets shift their playoff series to California for Game 3. The Warriors' offense put on a show in Game 2 as Stephen Curry scored 30 points and dished 13 assists. Denver's defense was unable to adjust to Golden State and not even the Nuggets' infamous home court advantage could stop the series from splitting at a game apiece.
NBA Playoffs 2013, Nuggets vs. Warriors Game 3: Game time, TV schedule and more
The Nuggets look to bounce back after a poor defensive outing in Game 2 against the Warriors. Can Curry deliver another masterful game for Golden State, or will Denver adjust and take advantage of the Warriors’ own defensive issues?
Golden State of Mind: How Curry was the Catalyst in Game 2
The Warriors adjusted to playing without David Lee without pause, running a small-ball lineup that dominated the Nuggets. While the Nuggets scored 117 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, they still lost by double-digits as the Warriors put in 131 points against their unorganized defense.
Denver Stiffs: Adjustments, corrections and criticisms
Will the Warriors’ high-scoring ways be enough to hold off the Nuggets at Oracle Arena, or will the Nuggets adjust their defense?
Denver must play smarter defense
The Warriors dropped 131 points on the Nuggets in Game 2 while Stephen Curry toyed with Denver's sloppy defense. The Nuggets need to play smarter defense on Curry in Game 3 to avoid a loss on the road.
Will the Nuggets slow down Curry?
The Nuggets attempted to throw extra defense at Curry to slow down the prolific scorer, but only hurt themselves in the process. Curry was a willing passer in Game 2 and his teammates were hitting the open shots he set on the table for them. There's also the issue of Curry's ankle, which has left him as a "game time decision" for Game 3. Will Curry be able to push the pace and move on offense, or will it weigh him down and slow the Warriors offensive attack? If Curry's ankle impacts his speed, the Nuggets defense will be far less susceptible to the errors they committed in Game 2.
The Nuggets bench production
While the Warriors offense has been the topic of conversation, Denver scored more than enough to win in Game 2. The key? Denver's bench combined for 62 points. Andre Miller and Corey Brewer alone scored 37 for the Nuggets. Golden State's depth has been depleted, scoring only 24 points combined in Game 2. Draymond Green, Festus Ezeli, Carl Landry, and Richard Jefferson make up the Warriors' reserves. With Jarrett Jack moving into the starting lineup, the Warriors have loaded their production into their starting five.
Battle of the Boards
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.
Game time: 10:30 p.m. ET
National TV: ESPN2
Local TV: CSBA, ALT
Odds: Golden State favored +1, via Oddsshark.com
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