Golden State Warriors visit Denver Nuggets, looking to finish 4-0 in NBA Cup group stage
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Stephen Curry (left) may be 36 but he is still a key player for the Golden State Warriors.
PHOTO: AFP
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SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Warriors have already clinched a spot in the NBA Cup quarter-finals, so they are simply looking to get back to their winning ways in their final group game.
Golden State have dropped four straight National Basketball Association (NBA) games overall after winning 12 of their first 15 this season.
They are scuffling a bit but are 3-0 in West Group C, with a chance to complete a sweep of the opening round of the in-season tournament when they face the Nuggets in Denver on Dec 3 (Dec 4, Singapore time).
Denver are 1-2 in the group, dropping games at the New Orleans Pelicans and at home against the Dallas Mavericks while beating the Memphis Grizzlies on the road. The Nuggets have been a model of mediocrity since mid-November, alternating wins and losses over their past seven games.
On Dec 1, Denver had a chance to win back-to-back games but poor shooting from the free-throw line doomed them in a 126-122 away loss against the Los Angeles Clippers, a game in which the Nuggets had Aaron Gordon back after the forward missed 10 games due to a calf strain.
Denver went 10-for-19 from the charity stripe in the setback, and three of those misses were by the usually reliable Michael Porter Jr – whose 62.2 per cent clip from the free-throw line this season is the second-worst mark of his six-season career.
Porter has worked hard at all aspects of his game and has been sticking to a workout regimen that keeps him on the court after three back surgeries by the time he turned 25.
“I don’t know if my ceiling is quite as high after the injuries and everything, but I think that I have the drive,” the 26-year-old told The Denver Post. “It’s what propelled me to be the No. 1 (recruit) in the world at one point.”
He is second on the team in scoring at 18.6 points per game and will surely be a focus of Golden State’s game plan. The Warriors are coming off a 113-105 loss in Phoenix on Nov 30, and Golden State coach Steve Kerr believes that his team did not play poorly, the Suns were just that good.
Still, losing four games in a row has gnawed at the Warriors.
“We know what it takes to win basketball games at this level,” Golden State forward Draymond Green said. “When you’re in a bit of a rut, it’s never going to be easy to win. So, you gotta come with the necessary force that it takes to win, or (you) stay in a rut.”
Golden State have been in a championship window for a decade and have won four titles in that span. The roster’s stars are ageing but are still playing at a high level. The difference this season is the squad’s depth. Thirteen players are getting at least 12.1 minutes a night, helping keep 36-year-old star Stephen Curry fresh.
But Kerr is planning on shortening his rotation.
“If things aren’t working, which obviously right now, we’re in a little bit of a funk, then we’ve got to think about the rotation and what we’re going to do with it,” he said.
“I like all these guys. I believe in all of them. But we have to do what’s right to help us win a game.” REUTERS
