Golden State @ Denver preview
Ball Arena
Last Meeting ( Feb 25, 2024 ) Denver 119, Golden State 103
The Golden State Warriors have already clinched a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, so they are simply looking to get back to their winning ways in their final group game.
Golden State has dropped four straight games overall after winning 12 of its first 15 this season. The Warriors are scuffling a bit but are 3-0 in West Group C with a chance to complete a sweep of the opening round of the in-season tournament when they face the host Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.
Denver is 1-2 in West Group C, dropping games at the New Orleans Pelicans and at home against the Dallas Mavericks while beating the Memphis Grizzlies on the road. The Nuggets have been a model of mediocrity since mid-November, alternating wins and losses over their past seven games.
On Sunday night, Denver had a chance to win back-to-back games but poor shooting from the free-throw line doomed it in a 126-122 loss against the host Los Angeles Clippers, a game in which the Nuggets had Aaron Gordon back after the forward missed 10 games due to a calf strain.
Denver went 10-for-19 from the charity stripe in the setback, and three of those misses were by the usually reliable Michael Porter Jr. -- whose 62.2 percent clip from the free-throw line this season is the second-worst mark of his six-season career.
Porter has worked hard at all aspects of his game and has been sticking to a workout regimen that keeps him on the court after three back surgeries by the time he turned 25.
"I don't know if my ceiling is quite as high after the injuries and everything, but I think that I have the drive," Porter told The Denver Post. "It's what propelled me to be the No. 1 (recruit) in the world at one point."
Porter is second on the team in scoring at 18.6 points per game and will surely be a focus of Golden State's game plan on Tuesday night. The Warriors are coming off a 113-105 loss in Phoenix on Saturday, and Golden State coach Steve Kerr believes that his team didn't play poorly, the Suns were just that good.
Still, losing four games in a row has gnawed at the Warriors.
"We know what it takes to win basketball games at this level," Golden State forward Draymond Green said. "When you're in a bit of a rut, it's never going to be easy to win. So, you gotta come with the necessary force that it takes to win, or (you) stay in a rut."
Golden State has been in a championship window for a decade and has won four titles in that span. The roster's stars are aging but are still playing at a high level. The difference this season is the squad's depth. Thirteen players are getting at least 12.1 minutes a night, helping keep 36-year-old star Stephen Curry fresh.
But Kerr is planning on shortening his rotation.
"If things aren't working, which, obviously right now, we're in a little bit of a funk, then we've got to think about the rotation and what we're going to do with it," Kerr said. "I like all these guys. I believe in all of them. But we have to do what's right to help us win a game."
--Field Level Media