NBA Playoff schedule 2013: Warriors survive near-collapse to beat Nuggets, win series

Lee tore his right hip flexor in Game 1 against the Nuggets and was initially ruled out for the rest of the playoffs, but he made a surprise return to the court on Thursday. He took one shot and grabbed one rebound in 69 seconds of play in the first quarter before returning to the bench for the rest of the game.

Afterward, Lee said he returned because he wanted to be a leader and provide an extra lift in the crucial Game 6. He also said there was little extra risk to returning, as there’s already a good chance he will need surgery after the season.

Also, Nate Robinson was pukin’. Sorry.

MC Hammer couldn’t have been happier.

At 29 years old, Iguodala will likely look for one final long-term contract with a similar payout to the $15 million guaranteed he will be leaving on the table. Denver will have to decide whether to bring Iguodala back long-term or allow him to walk as a free agent. Ultimately, the decision is in Iguodala’s court, so Denver can only wait to negotiate with their big trade acquisition from the 2012 summer. Iguodala averaged 13 points on 43.1 percent shooting, 5.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game in his first season with the Nuggets.

The Nuggets will also have to decide on their future with swingman Corey Brewer. Brewer’s $3.2 million will come off the books. In April, Matt Moore of CBS Sports sat down with Brewer to discuss his time in Denver, and Brewer stated his desire to stay with the Nuggets:

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.

The Nets put themselves in this tough position by blowing a lead to a banged-up Bulls team in Game 4. They are still on the brink of elimination despite winning Game 5, and only eight teams have ever climbed out of a 3-1 series hole (Chicago now leads the series, 3-2). It’s a tall task for a very inconsistent team.

If Kirk Hinrich is able to play, he’s the obvious answer. If the veteran guard is out, or can only play limited minutes, then the issue gets a bit messier. Jason Patt of Blog a Bull admits that Hinrich has been essential to Chicago’s success in this series: