The Denver Nuggets simply pulled off one of many wildest victories of the season, capping a 25-4 run over the sport’s ultimate six-plus minutes with a 39-foot, banked-in buzzer-beater from Nikola Jokic to stun the host Golden State Warriors, 130-127, on Thursday.
Significantly, have a look at this shot:
Stan Van Gundy took the phrases out of everybody’s mouth: “Are you kidding me?” A seven footer pulling up off the dribble from outdoors the brand on the buzzer? Financial institution or no financial institution, Jokic is one thing else. I imply, the dude has missed solely 5 pictures over his final 4 video games. And, sure, you learn that proper. After going 13 for 16 for 34 factors on Thursday, Jokic has now made 39 of his final 44 pictures.
So that is nice for the Nuggets, who’re sort of coasting alongside ready for the postseason, if we’re being trustworthy. However on the opposite facet of a victory like this there’s at all times a staff bleeding out, and for the Warriors, that is with out query the hardest loss in a season that has been full of close-but-no-cigar losses.
Up to now Golden State has performed in a league-high 27 clutch video games, that are outlined as video games being inside 5 factors with 5 minutes or fewer to play. They’re 13-14 in these video games. Treading water.
That is the sort of loss that may put you below.
“These video games all come right down to the wire it appears like for us this yr,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stated. “These are intestine punches, for positive.”
With the loss, the Warriors, in the intervening time, fall out of the play-in at 16-18, a half sport again of the also-reeling Lakers for the No. 10 seed. The Warriors are usually not even near pretty much as good because the Nuggets, however on any given evening, they will nonetheless play with anybody within the league. They simply have no margin for error anymore. They can not flip the ball over, significantly on the fallacious time. They can not go chilly when it is time to shut.
They did each on Thursday. Stephen Curry missed all 5 of his pictures over the ultimate six minutes and threw away the move that gave the Nuggets their ultimate, game-winning possession. Chris Paul, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins all missed essential jumpers. And on the opposite finish, the Warriors could not get stops.
Name the Jokic winner a foul roll of the cube, however the sport was going to fallacious approach lengthy earlier than that, and the Warriors paid the value for letting a championship staff cling round a bit too lengthy.
