Stephen Curry, Warriors welcome again followers and beat Nuggets
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Stephen Curry’s pre-game warm-up had a little extra flair with so many people watching again. He loved seeing all the familiar ushers as he drove to the arena three hours early. He thanked fans for their patience and perseverance during a pandemic before pointing out.
Curry scored 32 points, Draymond Green added 19 assists and 12 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors greeted fans for the first time since the pandemic began by beating the Denver Nuggets 118-97 on Friday night.
“Just a little different from inside and outside the arena,” said Curry. “I know you have to take it slow and obviously protect everyone, but increase the number of people who can get into the building and slowly but surely return to a full, overcrowded home where this energy is unmatched. We on the ground, we live on it. You try to make it when it’s an empty arena, you do your best, but it makes a big difference with the fans. “
Nikola Jokic scored 19 points for Denver in a matchup of MVP candidates with Curry, who, 33.7 seconds back in the third game, received a rare technique when attempting a foul call. Michael Porter Jr. led the nuggets with 26 points, hitting seven 3-pointers.
Denver striker Will Barton dropped into the game 59 seconds with a strained right Achilles tendon and never returned. It hit the baseline awkwardly under the basket of nuggets.
“Our boys have regrouped,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “Will has perished. He went down early and then we had to find other guys to jump in and play. But I think you all are fishing for the fact that we lost this game to Will’s injury. Don’t excuse us. Will Barton went down, he’s hurt, and we sympathize with him. But we all get paid on the first and the 15th, do your job. We didn’t do our job tonight – not me, the players didn’t do it and that’s unacceptable. “
Fans shouted “MVP! MVP! “For Curry, who scored 11 for 18 with four 3s and also got eight rebounds in his 12th 30-point performance in the last 13 games and the 29th of the season.
“I’m not surprised. I think it’s a no-brainer,” Mychal Mulder said.
Jordan Poole knocked down a corner 3-pointer to hit the buzzer that ended the third when Golden State received another big boost from its bench to win a third straight home game. Poole finished with 15 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. 23 in his new reserve role.
“It’s a new role for Kelly, but you can see how he accepted it, how he handled it,” said coach Steve Kerr.
The Warriors started with nine of their last 13 games at home – where they had not played with fans in the building for 409 days. The number of participants was 1,935, with the team hoping for around 2,000 people.
Fans were greeted with a special video board message – Welcome Home – a limited number of player family members and guests were the only ones in attendance.
The exhausted Warriors greeted Juan Toscano-Anderson from the concussion log after suffering a dangerous fall and cutting his head in Boston last week. He started at 6:08 a.m. in the first quarter to great cheers and contributed nine points and eight rebounds.
“Having fans is always fun, especially after playing in empty gyms,” said Toscano-Anderson. “I appreciate all the fans. Greetings to all important employees who made this possible. “
Golden State shot 53.6% and had 39 assists.
“You have to find a way to get stops and we just didn’t want that tonight,” said Malone, disgusted, whose Denver team shot 38.6%.
CURRY THE ENTERTAINER
Curry clearly loved getting fans back for entertainment by going through a dazzling warmup in which he kicked basketballs up towards the huge video scoreboard and had fun – waving to a cheering group above the tunnel after he finished his pre-game job would have.
The two-time MVP took a moment before the hint to thank the fans for their patience in this “unprecedented situation”.
“There was so much energy in the building tonight and a reminder of what we missed,” said Kerr. “Just I guess a few thousand, but it felt like a lot more. Just such a welcome sight. “
FIRST FAN
Anthony Calvo, 27, from San Ramon, was honored as the first fan to be honored at the Chase Center. Brandon Schneider, COO of New Warriors, greeted him at the door around 4:50 pm after Calvo arrived at 10:30 am to take his COVID test
A Redwood City employee who is helping procure school supplies for youth in need planned to connect with Ms. Kerissa after the game for her planned weekend getaway in Big Sur.
He received a # 1 First Fan Back Uniform and signed equipment from the team.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Barton was injured on the Golden State home floor after Jamal Murray tore his cruciate ligament in his left knee and had to undergo surgery on April 12 against the Warriors here late on game day. … Denver had won its two previous ones on the road.
Warriors: F Damion Lee and G Kent Bazemore are both on the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols. … The Warriors didn’t train on Thursday or hold a shootaround on Friday and Kerr expects limited practice on the track to keep his team fresh. “The players need more rest than work at this point,” he said.
NEXT
Nuggets: Host Houston in a road-home back-to-back on Saturday to beat this season’s three matchups with the Rockets.
Warriors: Host Sacramento on Sunday after losing four out of five to the Kings.
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