Denver Nuggets going through ‘no stress,’ see that Warriors are ‘beatable’ after Recreation Four win

DENVER — The Denver Nuggets did not simply maintain their season alive with their 126-121 Recreation Four victory. They now see that the Warriors are “beatable.”

After being dominated so totally within the first two video games that they left San Francisco merely making an attempt to maintain issues collectively, the Nuggets averted being swept for the second straight postseason and now return to the Bay Space for a Recreation 5 with confidence that they’ll lengthen the sequence much more in the event that they play the way in which they did in Denver.

“There isn’t any stress on us,” mentioned level guard Monte Morris, who hit 5 3’s within the third quarter and scored 24 factors. “I believe Recreation Three and Four has been our greatest basketball, how bodily we need to be, we displayed that.

“Going again there, we see they’re beatable. They are a helluva group. However once we play our fashion of basketball and make it powerful and make them see our bodies — they’ll make powerful pictures — however we all know if we play our model of basketball and produce the power, we give ourselves an opportunity. And that’s the reason I believe it’s going to be completely different going again.”

The Nuggets return to San Francisco with a training workers and key gamers who know what it takes to drag off an unbelievable comeback. Solely 13 occasions have groups come again from down 3-1 to win. The Nuggets, nevertheless, did it twice within the bubble through the 2020 playoffs.

“Clearly of all groups within the playoffs, we’re most likely most comfy being down 3-1,” head coach Michael Malone mentioned. “Can I say we are saying we now have them proper the place we would like them? No. However we’re alive. We dwell to combat one other day.”

Malone thanked the followers for the power they gave his group in Denver in Video games Three and Four after which mentioned the Nuggets will want the identical factor from them for a possible Recreation 6.

“I thank all of our followers and once we come again for Recreation 6, we want the identical factor,” Malone mentioned. When a reporter chuckled, a cussed Malone responded, “What you laughing at?”

The Nuggets mentioned successful Recreation Four and feeling like they let Recreation Three slip away after dropping a lead with three minutes remaining has given them confidence. They definitely be ok with the way in which their famous person is taking part in. As soon as once more, they bought an MVP-like efficiency out of the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.

Jokic, who took a painful poke to the attention within the first minute of the sport, was aggressive from the beginning and completed with 37 factors, eight rebounds and 6 assists. Aaron Gordon additionally had his second straight sturdy sport with 21 factors, six rebounds and 4 assists. There was additionally rookie Bones Hyland, who electrified the house crowd when he hit three 3-pointers, all from 30 toes or deeper, in simply over a minute early within the second quarter to present the Nuggets a 17-point lead.

Hyland, who stands 6-foot-2 and is 169 kilos, had 15 factors and 7 assists.

Morris additionally helped set the tone for the Nuggets with a tough foul on Draymond Green on the rim within the third quarter. The 2 buddies, who grew up in Michigan, barked at each other however Morris let the Warriors know he and the Nuggets weren’t backing down.

“We bought muscle tissues within the coronary heart,” Hyland mentioned when requested about shorter level guards like himself and Morris flexing muscle tissues.

Hyland mentioned he thought the Warriors had been beatable earlier than Recreation 4. When requested if he nonetheless thinks that, Hyland displayed his rising confidence. “After all,” Hyland mentioned. “We simply proved that on the market. We go on the market and play Mile Excessive Metropolis basketball, we are able to beat anyone. I really feel like we now have a really unguardable group. We go on the market and play our basketball, we’re unguardable.”

Denver had numerous issues go its manner, reminiscent of Inexperienced fouling out with 2:05 remaining and Stephen Curry (33 factors) lacking 4 of his 14 free throws — probably the most he has ever missed in a sport. Nonetheless, Golden State managed to erase a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and lead 121-119 with 1:21 remaining.

“The truth that we had the lead with a minute and a half left speaks to who we’re,” Curry mentioned.

With out Inexperienced to take care of, Jokic scored on a layup to tie the sport. After which after Klay Thompson missed a Three and Andrew Wiggins missed a putback try, Morris hit a floater. Austin Rivers stole an inbounds lob move by the Warriors earlier than Jokic helped seal the sport by discovering Will Barton within the nook for a Three with 8.Three seconds remaining.

When requested if he makes use of his expertise from the Nuggets’ consecutive 3-1 comebacks within the bubble towards the Jazz and the Clippers on this sequence, Jokic mentioned, “Completely not.”

He is aware of this can be a completely different sequence towards a way more skilled group: one that’s saying it has to answer the Nuggets at house on Wednesday in Recreation 5.

“We bought to enter [Game 5] prefer it’s a must-win,” mentioned Thompson, who scored 32 factors. “We would prefer to get some relaxation earlier than subsequent sequence and we do not need to journey again to Denver. We bought to return with the mindset that we now have one thing to show, that it is a must-win.”