| Advertisement |
April 28 (UPI) -- Sharpshooter Stephen Curry made five 3-pointers and totaled 30 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a playoff-series-clinching win over the Denver Nuggets. The third-seeded Warriors totaled 13 3-pointers as a team in the 102-98 victory Wednesday at Chase Center in San Francisco. They won the best-of-seven Western Conference series 4-1 and will now face the Memphis Grizzlies or Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round.
Advertisement
"It wasn't exactly how you would draw it up," Curry told reporters. "It was like: get the win and get out of here."
Wednesday's series finale featured seven lead changes and was tied five times. NBA MVP contender Nikola Jokic totaled 30 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists in the loss.
"We fought, that is the most important thing," Jokic said. "We didn't quit. They were up 3-1 and we beat them at home.
"It was an interesting game. ... We could have played a little bit differently in the end."
The lead changed hands several times to start the first quarter, but the Warriors held a 30-25 edge to start the second.
The No. 6 Nuggets used a 6-0 run to take the lead back late in the second. They outscored the Nuggets 23-18 in the frame to tie the score at 48-48 at halftime.
The Nuggets went on a 7-2 run to start the third. They used another 7-0 run a few minutes later to push their lead to 10 points. DeMarcus Cousins scored seven unanswered to end the frame and the Nuggets took a 78-70 lead into the fourth.
Jokic scored a dozen down the stretch, but the Warriors outscored the Nuggets 32-20 over the final 12 minutes to earn the victory.
Curry totaled 11 fourth-quarter points. Warriors guard Gary Payton II chipped in 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.
Warriors forward Klay Thompson also scored 15 points in the win. Cousins totaled 19 points for the Nuggets.
The Warriors will start their second-round series either Sunday in Memphis or Tuesday in Memphis or San Francisco.
The Grizzlies lead the Timberwolves 3-2 in their series.
