It’s official.
Following the NBA’s regular-season finale on Sunday, the table is set for the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets to meet in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The No. 3 seed Warriors will get homecourt advantage over reigning Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic and the No. 6 seed Nuggets.
Via @warriors on Twitter:
The journey begins against Denver.@kpthrive || 2022 Playoffs pic.twitter.com/wNKZTAsr9A
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 11, 2022
Up next: the NBA Playoffs pic.twitter.com/CUys1qfxqZ
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 11, 2022
Through four meetings in the regular season, the Nuggets hold a 3-1 record over the Warriors in 2021-22. However, Draymond Green didn’t play in all four of the Warriors’ games against the Nuggets.
One of the Nuggets’ wins over the Warriors came on a stunning buzzer-beater from Monte Morris. Another Nuggets victory came on a night where the Warriors rested Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr.
Through four games against the Warriors, Jokic is averaging 28 points on 51.8% shooting from the field with 15.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists in 34 minutes. The Warriors will have to find a way to slow down the back-to-back MVP candidate while Curry’s availability is unclear.
Curry has missed the last 12 games for the Warriors due to a sprained ligament in his foot. If Curry isn’t ready for the playoff opener, the Warriors will have to lean on the offense of Thompson and Jordan Poole.
Thompson is coming off a season-high 41 points in the Warriors’ victory over the Pelicans in the season finale. To end the season, the veteran shooter has notched three consecutive games with 33 or more points.
Game one is set for Saturday at San Francisco’s Chase Center at 5:30 p.m. PT. Game one between the Warriors and Nuggets will be the first postseason contest in Chase Center history.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
