The Warriors let Denver last longer than they wanted in Game 5, but ended up getting their goal.
At 06:20 in the third quarter, Green hit a 26-foot-3 shot to lead the Denver Warriors to six. It gave them the initial impetus to revive themselves and the building.
“We ran and brought it down to one and then they finally got it back down to eight. But we knew there we had a stranglehold on it,” said Green. "We played the game at the pace we wanted to achieve."
The Warriors went out by eight points early in the fourth game, but beat Denver 32-20 in the final quarter and overtook the Nuggets 63% to 53% from the floor to secure a tie win.
The biggest change the Warriors made was stopping without committing a foul. So far, the Nuggets have 23 free throws against 16 Warriors.
"Once we stopped going broke, we were able to keep up," Green said. "It was more like Game 1-3 compared to Game 4."
Another major solution the Warriors came up with was defending the box and one to finally throw a wrench into the Nuggets attack. Getting a free stop allowed the Warriors to pick up speed and play in transition instead of facing a series of Denver defenses that they ran at their offensive pace with every possession.
Curry scored 11 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and scored or assisted on 10 of the Warriors' 15 shots during the clutch.
"I have a lot of faith [in Curry]," Thompson said. “Some of the 3 he did tonight were amazing. And also get on the edge, making a pocket pass. Steph Curry is a special and special player and you will probably never see another player like him again."
Game 5 was the start of Curry's first postseason and also marked the first time a Warriors team with a newly unveiled small ball became a starting unit. The team's first stop was just 3 minutes before Luni joined Jordan Poole. But because of the early offense, the Warriors didn't return much to that combination.
Thompson added 15 points while Green had 11 points, six assists, three blocks and a loot.
The biggest change in the Warriors game was Gary Peyton II, who provided an important push off the bench.
"I don't know how to start," said Golden State coach Steve Kerr when asked what Peyton brought to the game. "His defense in the fourth quarter was fantastic. That's why I stick with it. But then he started dropping 3s and got the upper hand for some layouts. I think he was just a big factor in the game and he got it. deserved to stay there the way he played, so we put him out through game four and he did really well.
Peyton finished the game with 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including a wide-open 3-shot to give the Warriors a much-needed 86-84 lead as they enter the final leg of the game. He hit 3 more to put the Warriors into fifth and stay less than a minute into the race.
After strong wins in Games 1 and 2 and two strident games—one win and one loss—in Denver, the Warriors only had to close out the series at half-time in their first-round series against the Nuggets.
Thompson went so far as to say that Game 5 was a must-win game. Not in a win or go home sense, but in a clear way, Golden State couldn't breathe more life into this Nuggets team by returning to Denver.
The Warriors let Denver last longer than they wanted in Game 5, but ended up getting their goal.
"Let's hope this is the start of something great," Thompson said. "Of course we're not happy, but we can be proud of it. Especially since the last two years when we were devastated and we didn't have our whole team together. Now that we're finally almost done, it's another great playoff and we're looking forward to the next round. "
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