Warriors-Nuggets: Brandin Podziemski scorches Nuggets

SAN FRANCISCO – While a makeshift Warriors beginning 5 battled it out with Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray at Chase Center on Sunday afternoon, solely 4 reserves have been out there to tackle one of many West’s true contenders.

All of the items for an enormous Golden State misplaced have been in place.

The Warriors performed the sport with a skeleton crew. Steph Curry (runner’s knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (sickness) have been each dominated out. The frontcourt obtained even thinner as Draymond Green was scratched 5 minutes earlier than typoff with decrease again soreness. Horford took his place and drew the unenviable task of guarding Jokic.

But using an electrical end by Brandin Podziemski, the Warriors notched a spirited 128-117 win.

He got here off the bench and scored 15 of his 18 within the fourth quarter, shaking off a 1-for-10 capturing begin to shut out the Nuggets. He made all method of fadeaways, floaters and 3-pointers, every one bringing the group to their ft. Podziemski additionally grabbed 15 rebounds — eight within the fourth quarter — and simply missed out on a triple-double with 9 assists.

Al Horford turned again the clock and scored 22 factors on his son Ean’s eleventh birthday. Moses Moody led the Warriors with 23, whereas De’Anthony Melton (20) and Gui Santos (17) joined him in double figures. Off that depleted bench, Gary Payton II put in 15 factors and Will Richard contributed 11. Jokic scored 35, grabbed 20 rebounds and had 12 assists for the Nuggets.

They stored it shut late, going into the ultimate six minutes tied at 109. After the Nuggets brough Jokic and Murray again into the sport, their presence solely appeared to fireside up the Warriors extra. Golden State ripped off to 7-0 run over the subsequent 1:18 to power one other Denver timeout. The Warriors took management from there and closed out the victory behind Podziemski’s flurry.

The shorthanded Warriors rose to the event in a nationally televised sport from the beginning, bursting out to a 39-27 lead after one quarter, capturing 9 of 19 from behind the arc whereas Denver was simply 10 of 27 from the sector. That excessive degree of offensive execution continued into the second quarter, with the Warriors main 76-67 at halftime. Golden State had 25 assists on 27 makes.

The 15-minute halftime break cooled the Warriors off fairly a bit, with Golden State clanking on all 14 of their photographs from behind the arc within the third quarter. Six turnovers didn’t assist both, and the Nuggets led 101-95 after three quarters.

The Warriors (30-27) will journey to New Orleans subsequent for a sport on Tuesday (5 p.m., NBC Sports Bay Area).

Porzingis takes sick day

Kristaps Porzingis had spent the previous few days training with the Warriors, with the group anticipating him to have the ability to improve his minutes from the 17 he performed towards Boston on Thursday in his debut.

Instead, on Sunday morning, the 7-foot-2 middle, who scored 12 factors towards the Celtics, was dominated out with an sickness that left him confined to his Bay Area resort.

“I got a text this morning that he was sick at the hotel, and he’s not even going to come over here,” Kerr mentioned. “He’s pretty sick.”

Porzingis has performed in solely 18 complete video games this season, and has handled varied accidents in addition to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Kerr mentioned he had not spoken to Porzingis straight and was not sure what kind of sickness he had.

The coach was additionally not sure if Porzingis can be out there for the upcoming two-game highway journey to New Orleans and Memphis.

Warriors tune in for hockey

Steve Kerr was one in all many members of the Warriors group who had a eager curiosity in Sunday morning’s USA vs. Canada Olympic gold medal hockey sport.