SAN FRANCISCO — Klay Thompson called Game 5 a must win as the Warriors certainly didn’t want to have to travel back to Denver to take care of business.
And while it wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing performance by the Warriors, Golden State, led by standout fourth-quarter performances by Gary Payton II and Stephen Curry, pulled out the win, beating the Nuggets 102-98 to end the series and advance to the Western Conference semifinals.
Payton scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, and Curry, who returned for the postseason after a month-long absence from a foot injury, also came in clutch down the stretch as he’s done so many times in his career.
