After Steph Curry was slated to come off the bench in game one of the Golden State Warriors’ playoff opener against the Denver Nuggets, Jordan Poole drew the start in the backcourt.
With an expanded opportunity, Poole shined in his playoff debut. The third-year guard was a catalyst on offense as Golden State cruised to a 1-0 lead in the series behind a 123-107 victory on Saturday night.
After a solid end to the regular season, Poole picked up right where he left off in his first career playoff game. The Michigan Wolverines product tallied a game-high 30 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field with three assists and a rebound in 30 minutes.
Poole did his best Splash Brother impression, drilling five triples on seven attempts from beyond the arc.
On the way to 30 points, Poole showed off his full bag of tricks, whether it was pulling up from deep or knifing through the lane for a crafty finish at the rim.
Poole set Chase Center into a frenzy in the second quarter when he dribbled through the lane for a reverse bucket. Poole continued to fuel the Warriors’ home crowd with a celebration after he was given an and-one opportunity on the play.
Via @NBCSWarriors on Twitter:
Jordan Poole is different 😤pic.twitter.com/YQvezK0Zla
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 17, 2022
Although Curry will likley re-enter the starting lineup soon, Poole has cemented himself as a key piece to Golden State’s playoff rotation.
Poole will have the chance to build off his playoff debut on Monday when the Warriors host the Nuggets for game two of the playoff series. The Warriors are scheduled to tip-off against the Nuggets at 7 p.m. PT on Monday evening.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
