The Warriors Fought Off A Monster Jokic Game To Take A 3-0 Lead On The Nuggets

The Nuggets came into Game 3 in Denver with their backs against the wall after getting blitzed by the Warriors in the first two games in San Francisco.

However, it was the Warriors who started strong, led once again by their young budding star, Jordan Poole, jumping out to an early seven point advantage that forced Denver to work from behind as they tried to secure their first win of the series.

Denver would claw their way back into the game, first with the help of Nikola Jokic and then with a strong bench effort, as DeMarcus Cousins bullied the Warriors small-ball lineups in the paint.

Golden State would use a late 15-4 second quarter run to push the lead to 10 at halftime, punctuated by a Stephen Curry and-1 bucket just before the buzzer to take solid control at the break.

Denver would rally in a big way in the third quarter, storming out to a five-point lead as Jokic got to work on his way to a 37-point, 18-rebound night.

However, Klay Thompson would stem the tide with one of his six three-pointers on the night, keeping things to a two-point game going to the fourth.

Jokic continued to assert himself in what became a back-and-forth affair in the fourth quarter, giving Denver a two-point advantage late with a driving scoop shot.

On the other side, Andrew Wiggins answered with a big three from the corner to give the Warriors a lead they wouldn’t relinquish again.

The story of the game was Poole continuing his spectacular play in the series, scoring 27 points and while his three-point shooting is typically the headliner, it was his finishing at the rim that helped the Warriors take control of the game late, as he took advantage of a huge Andrew Wiggins offensive rebound while up 1 to push the lead to three.

Despite a terrific game, Jokic couldn’t muster quite enough in the closing minutes, with the game getting effectively sealed on a steal by Draymond Green with the Nuggets trailing by five and under a minute to play.

The Nuggets simply have not had the firepower outside of Jokic to keep up with the balanced attack of the Warriors, and Game 3 was just the latest example of that in what became a 118-113 Warriors win. Curry and Thompson each had 26 points to join with Poole’s 27, as that triumvirate creates significant problems for the Nuggets’ perimeter defenders. On the other side, Aaron Gordon picked up his play with an 18-point night, but the guard play continues to be an issue, as Monte Morris and Will Barton combined for 23 points on 24 shots, which simply isn’t efficient enough shooting around Jokic.

The series, now at 3-0 in favor of the Warriors, is effectively over, and it just remains to be seen if the Nuggets will be able to get a game off of Golden State. Their best chance to do so figures to be Game 4 at home, because it’s hard to see them having much success when the Warriors get back to Chase Center.