The Golden State Warriors advance to the Western Conference Semifinals after beating Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 102-98 in Game 5 to win their first-round series. Stephen Curry finished top of the team with 30 points while Gary Payton II made it big in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors outperformed the Nuggets’ offense late, holding them to just 20 points in the fourth and improving to 20-8 in closeout games under Steve Kerr. They are also now 16-1 all-time while holding a 3-1 series lead – the only loss came in the 2016 Finals.
Michael Malone’s Nuggets have a history of success in elimination matches, even overcoming holes in 3-1 series. However, Denver failed to force a Game 6 and extend its postseason. Jokic ended the defeat with 30 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists. The Warriors meet the winner between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Here are the biggest takeaways from Game 5.
1. He may be a nugget, but he’s also a warrior
Nuggets head coach Mike Malone addressed the media after Game 5 he had nothing but praise for Nikola Jokic. “The guy is the definition of a warrior,” Malone said of the reigning MVP. The phrasing might have been a bit odd given their Golden State opponents, but the spirit lingered through the end of the game and throughout the season, really.
It was almost poetic. Jokic, who played virtually the entire season without star teammates Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, has had to carry the Nuggets at historic levels this season. A team that had nothing to do with sniffing the playoffs managed to secure a 6th place finish thanks to their MVP. In Game 4, he repelled a sweep with a 37-point blast. But with his season on Wednesday, his body finally broke down. He could no longer carry his teammates. He left the game with a hamstring injury. If he hadn’t played another minute for the rest of the evening, his offseason break would have been well deserved.
Instead, he not only returned, he dominated. Aside from Monte Morris’ garbage-time layup, Jokic was the only nugget to score in the final eight minutes and six seconds of the game. You couldn’t ask for a better summary of his season. Jokic carried the nuggets as far as he could. They couldn’t carry him the last few steps it took them tonight and their season ended as a result.
But when those teams meet again next season, with Murray and Porter back in the fold and maybe a few upgrades scattered throughout the rest of the roster, don’t be surprised if the outcome is different. This wasn’t a fair fight. Even in the circumstances, Jokic stared at a top 15 player of all time in Stephen Curry and was in no way inferior. If his team can match Curry next season, it could be one of the best series of the 2023 postseason.
2. Boogie Time
The last four seasons have not been good for DeMarcus Cousins. In that span, he’s somehow managed to play for the Curry-era Warriors, LeBron James Lakers, James Harden Rockets, Kawhi Leonard Clippers, Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks, and Jokic Nuggets… without ever winning a championship. He’s been on four teams in the last two years alone and hasn’t even started in a squad this season. The NBA has essentially dumped a 31-year-old former All-Star.
But as this series proved, Cousins still has a place in the league. In fact, he might have a home in Denver. That was clear from the moment he signed. He may not be a 30-minute player anymore and his defense can border on the disastrous, but the numbers don’t lie. Before Cousins arrived in January, the Nuggets were outscored by 217 points in the 823 minutes they played without Jokic. Afterward? That dropped to just 38 points in 662 minutes.
He was at his best in Game 5, scoring 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting to keep Denver afloat during the minutes Jokic had to rest. Once again, Denver kept pace in the non-Jokic minutes. For the entire series, the Nuggets actually won the minutes Cousins played in a threesome.
He’s a very special player at this point in his career, but that specificity is very valuable to Denver. The nuggets are built around Jokic’s unique gifts. No backup on Earth could replicate them. But in Cousins they have the best facsimile they could ask for from a minimum salary, a playmaker center through which to run offense and which can eliminate mismatches. He’s no longer a regular. He shouldn’t start. There are encounters where he cannot play at all. But Cousins proved he shouldn’t wait until mid-season to land a job next year. If anything, Denver should make it their primary backup center immediately.
3. Strength in numbers
Andrew Wiggins deserves the highest salary. Jordan Poole is moving in that direction. There’s a reason the Warriors are now both starting alongside their three established Superstars. Most teams are so desperate for players like this that they kill them. If Denver had Wiggins or Poole tonight, they would have played 45 minutes each.
Steve Kerr used them for 50… together. Neither of them finished the game. Instead, they relied on mid-money earning Kevon Looney, minimum salary home run swing Otto Porter, and training camp surprise Gary Payton II as their role players in the fourth quarter. This decision turned out to be brilliant. It helps warriors hold their ground defensively against a raging Jokic. Payton hit some of the biggest shots of his career. The warriors advanced.
Golden State’s mantra since Steve Kerr’s arrival has been “strength in numbers,” but it’s always felt a bit forced. It could be argued that Anderson Varejao’s excessive minutes in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals cost Golden State a championship. Their starters have only ever played limited minutes to engage the entire roster. It certainly helped the chemistry aside from the years with Kevin Durant, but the numbers suggested it probably didn’t do them many favors on the pitch.
But this team is something completely different. There’s nothing forced about this season’s depth. The warriors are the rare contenders with so many stars that they don’t even have to use them all. Their talent surplus is so vast that they can choose roleplayers for specific circumstances without worrying about a talent deficit. Even rookie Jonathan Kuminga gave them a semi-decent stretch in the second quarter. There will be a role waiting for Andre Iguodala on his return. Golden State’s depth is perhaps its greatest weapon. The warriors can play however they want. Few other competitors could ever say the same.