Nuggets fight hard but fall in five to Golden State Warriors
Apr 27, 2022, 11:47 PM | Updated: 11:54 pm
Mistakes and misses cost the Nuggets game three.
Mistakes and misses almost cost the Nuggets game four.
And mistakes and misses cost the Nuggets game five, ending their series against the Golden State Warriors in a gentleman’s sweep.
After the loss head coach Micheal Malone praised his group for their fight and so too did Monte Morris.
“I can honestly say we gave it our all in the last three games,” the fifth-year guard said. “We could’ve easily rolled over, but we fought. I have a lot of respect for everybody in the locker room.”
Denver fought off the ropes down 2-0 to almost win game three, to force a game five, and almost brought it back to Denver for game six. But this year’s team without Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray just didn’t have enough.
“What can this team be like with a healthy Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. is the potential to scare, and that’s another reason we’re so proud of this group,” DeMarcus Cousins said. “Down two superstars, we battled every night with them. So the potential is scary. Obviously, this looks good on paper, but we got to put everything together. So we’ll see what happens.”
On Wednesday night, they battled but blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead despite the efforts of likely MVP Nikola Jokic who went for 30 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists.
“That’s an incredible team over there,” Cousins said. “I’ve always respected him (Jokic.) Outside of Russ (Russell Westbrook), the most disrespected MVP in the league. His game speaks for itself. He doesn’t get treated like an MVP. Leaves every game bruised up only with eight free throws.”
Jokic connected on six of his eight free throws in game five and shot 12-of-18 from the field. His teammates combined for 24 makes on 63 shots for a troubling 38%. Cousins had eight of those makes, scoring the second-most points on the team, 19.
“Hell of a season,” Bones Hyland wrote on Twitter. “Proud of my guys and how we fought when we coulda gave up!! Wouldn’t wanna go to war with any other teammates. Congrats to the Warriors and there success! Great players over there with good class act! It was fun battling against you guys this series!”
Aaron Gordon had a strong first half but was truthful in why the Nuggets will be hitting the golf course.
“I feel like in game one we just eased our way in,” Gordon said. “One of the things that we talked about, we just need to have a greater level of urgency from the jump, play like our back is against the wall from the start, and move in a different series.”
The Nuggets didn’t have urgency until they were knocked to the mat; they fought of the ropes but ended up falling. Undermanned in the postseason; no doubt, showing fight on their way out; heck yeah, but major holes and questions around the league’s best player; absolutely.
