Sizzling Golden State Warriors look to take down Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic
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Denver Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic has recorded three triple-doubles during Denver’s eight-game winning streak over the Golden State Warriors.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SAN FRANCISCO – Two teams who would meet in the first round if the National Basketball Association (NBA) play-offs were held now, will get a chance for a statement win on March 17 (March 18, Singapore time) when the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors duel at Chase Centre in San Francisco.
The Nuggets (43-25) would have the home advantage in the third-against-sixth Western Conference series as well as a decided edge in recent head-to-head results, having beaten the Warriors (39-28) eight straight times, including 119-115 at home in December.
The teams have not met in the post-season since the first round in 2022, a series that the Warriors won 4-1 en route to the championship.
Denver have never seen Golden State with Jimmy Butler, but the Nuggets should be quite familiar with the former Miami Heat standout.
Denver and Miami met twice in the first half of the season, with Butler scoring 18 points in the most recent clash in January. The Nuggets won both games.
Butler has been on song since his trade in February, helping Golden State go 14-2, with one of the losses coming in the only game in which the forward did not play.
Golden State have won seven in a row since Butler got the day off in Philadelphia, allowing the Warriors to reach 11 games over .500 for the first time this season and moving them within 3½ games of the Nuggets.
Warriors star Stephen Curry, who had 24 points and 11 assists in their last loss to Denver, acknowledges that being in sixth place, which guarantees the last play-off spot, is not as comforting as it looks because a lot can change over the final 15 games.
“Sixth (place) has been a great floor for us right now, knowing that we still don’t have any comfort room or safety net. We have to keep winning,” he said.
“We’ve won seven in a row. You always do what you can control, and that’s just win as many games as possible, take advantage of this homestand.”
The Nuggets have alternated wins and losses in their last six games. The roller coaster included beating the Los Angeles Lakers 131-126 on March 14, before getting shocked by the visiting Washington Wizards 126-123 the next night.
The Nuggets will not catch the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the West, but Most Valuable Player candidate Nikola Jokic warns that does not mean Denver should coast into the post-season.
“Who you are in the regular season, that’s who you are in the play-offs. You cannot flip a switch. That doesn’t really exist,” he said.
“Yes, we are winning games. We can win. But that’s not (what’s most important). It’s in how we want to win. It’s just not good.”
Jokic has recorded three triple-doubles during Denver’s eight-game winning streak over the Warriors. He had 38 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals in the December victory.
Over at the Crypto.com Arena on March 17, Luka Doncic had 33 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Austin Reaves added 28 points to help the Lakers snap a four-game losing streak with a 107-96 victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns.
Paolo Banchero scored 24 points as the Orlando Magic overturned a 13-point deficit to end the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 16-game unbeaten streak with a gutsy 108-103 victory at Rocket Arena. REUTERS, AFP
