The Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors will face off tonight in a rematch of last year’s first-round playoff series. The Nuggets could only muster one win in that series, but now they return Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr to face the defending champions. After a disappointing loss in Utah on Wednesday, the Nuggets look to kick it back into gear in San Francisco. They face a Warriors group that shot 45% from the field and compiled 31 assists against the Lakers in the season opener. Michael Malone appeared upset about his team's early effort levels against Utah, so look for Denver to fly around early.
The Basics
Who: Denver Nuggets (0-1) @ Golden State Warriors (1-0)
When: 8:00 PM MST
Where: Chase Center
How to Watch/Listen: ESPN, Altitude, Altitude Sports Radio 92.5FM
Rival Blog: Golden State of Mind
Projected Starting Lineups:
Warriors — Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney
Nuggets — Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Three Things to Watch
A comfortable Jamal Murray
In his return, Murray played 26 minutes, shot 5-13 from the field and 1-4 from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, he had the game’s worst plus/minus at -19, but Michael Malone urged the fans to exercise patience in Murray’s return. You saw glimpses of the Jamal Murray of old with multiple acrobatic shots and finishes, but ultimately he is still adjusting to the pace of play. The Warriors love to play fast and get the opponent’s defense scrambling around in the half-court, so tonight should be another test of Murray’s game shape. It would be great to see him score an efficient 20+ points, but what’s more important tonight is his impact on the offense and executing the offense in a floor general role.
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Perimeter shooting
Denver was awful in this category on Wednesday while they allowed the Jazz to dominate them from beyond the arc. The Nuggets shot 5-22 from three to Utah’s 16-38. Denver dominated the paint by a margin of 24 points, but they ultimately could not stop the perimeter prowess of Utah, and tonight will be an even tougher task. Similarly, the Lakers outscored the Warriors 60-38 in the paint, but Golden State knocked down 16 threes on their route to victory. If the Nuggets want to steal one in a tough environment, they have to compete in the three-point category tonight.
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MPJ to shine under the bright lights
MPJ has the skill set to illustrate his talents in these types of national games, and tonight is another opportunity to showcase he can be an All-Star in this league. Many are saying the Nuggets are a top team in the West, but how far they will go in the playoffs will depend on the play of Michael Porter Jr. Golden State will send multiple bodies at him tonight. Some bigger, stronger defenders, and some quicker players as well. Denver will need to scheme open shots for Porter. Ideally, he can obtain some easy looks early to get comfortable and open up his perimeter game, so look for him to gain a groove in the first quarter tonight.
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