The Warriors blocked the Nuggets’ attack slowly, keeping just 20 points in the fourth and improved to 20-8 in close games under Steve Kerr. They are also now 16-1 all the time when they have a 3-1 lead – the only defeat came in the 2016 Final.
Michael Malone’s Nuggets have been successful in exclusion games in the past and even overcame holes in the 3-1 series. However, Denver failed to force a Game 6 and extend its post-season. Jokic finished with 30 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists in the defeat. The Warriors advance to face the winner between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Here are the biggest conclusions from Game 5.
1. He may be a Nugget, but he is also a warrior
When Nuggets coach Mike Malone spoke to the media after Game 5, he had nothing but to praise Nikola Jokic. “Guy is the definition of a warrior,” Malone said of the MVP. The phrase was perhaps a little strange considering their Golden State opponents, but the emotion was felt at the end of the game, and indeed, throughout the season. It was almost poetic. Jokic, playing virtually all season without starring teammates Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, had to bring the Nuggets to a historic level this season. A team that had no job smelling the playoffs managed to win the number 6 thanks to its MVP. Prevented a scan in Game 4 with a 37 point explosion. However, with his season on Wednesday, his body finally broke. He could no longer carry his teammates. He left the game with a thigh injury. If he had not played the rest of the night for another minute, the off-season rest would have won well. On the contrary, he not only returned, but dominated. Aside from the Monte Morris layup, Jokic was the only Nugget to score in the final eight minutes and six seconds of the game. You could not ask for a better encapsulation of his season. Djokic took the Nuggets as far as he could. They could not take the last steps he needed tonight and their season ended as a result. But if these 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 result is different. This was not a fair fight. Even under these circumstances, Jokic looked like an all-time leading player in Stephen Curry and was almost himself. If his team manages to meet Curry’s next season, then this could be one of its best series since the 2023 season.
2. Boogie time
The last four seasons have not been kind to DeMarcus Cousins. During this time, he somehow managed to play for the Warriors of the Curry era, LeBron James Lakers, James Harden Rockets, Kawhi Leonard Clippers, Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks and Jokic Nuggets… without ever winning a championship. He has only played in four teams in the last two years and has not even started this season on the roster. The NBA has essentially rejected a 31-year-old former All-Star. But as this series has proven, Cousins still has a place in the league. In fact, he may have a home in Denver. This was evident from the moment he signed. He may no longer be a 30-minute player and his defense may be disastrous, but the numbers do not lie. Before Cousins arrived in January, the Nuggets lost 217 points in the 823 minutes they played without Djokic. After? That dropped to just 38 points in 662 minutes. He was at his best in Game 5, scoring 19 points in 8 of 12 shots to keep Denver upright in the minutes that Jokic needed to rest. Once again, Denver kept pace with the non-Jokic minutes. For the series as a whole, the Nuggets really won the minutes that the Cousins played with three. He is a very specific player at this stage of his career, but this particularity is very valuable to Denver. The Nuggets are built around Jokic’s unique gifts. No backup on Earth could copy them. But at Cousins, they have the closest fax they could possibly ask for a minimum wage, a playmaking center that can withstand the onslaught and that can hit mismatches. He is no longer a key player. It does not have to start. There are matches where he will not be able to play at all. But Cousins has proven that he does not have to wait until the middle of the season to find a job next year. If nothing else, Denver should commit to being the main backup center right away.
3. Power in numbers
Andrew Wiggins has the highest salary. Jordan Poole is moving in that direction. There is a reason the Warriors are both starting now with their three established superstars. Most teams are so desperate for such players that they throw them on the ground. If Denver had Wiggins or Poole tonight, they would each play 45 minutes. Steve Kerr used them for 50… together. Neither of them closed the game. Instead, they relied on Kevon Looney, earning mid-level money, Otto Porter, a low-wage home cot, and Gary Payton II, a surprise in the training camp, as fourth-quarter players. This decision proved to be brilliant. Helps the Warriors hold their own against a furious Jokic. Peyton scored some of the biggest shots of his career. The Warriors advanced. Golden State’s mantra has been “force in numbers” since Steve Kerr arrived, but it has always been somewhat forced. You could argue that Anderson Varejao’s extra minutes in the 7th game of the 2016 NBA Finals cost the Golden State a championship. Their key players always played limited minutes in the name of participating in the entire roster. Except for Kevin Durant’s years, he certainly helped with the chemistry, but the numbers suggest that he probably didn’t do them much good on the pitch. But this team is something completely different. There is nothing mandatory about the depth of this season. Warriors is the rare contender with so many stars that they do not even have to use them all. Their talent surplus is so huge that they can pick and choose role players for specific occasions without having to worry about a talent shortage. Even rookie Jonathan Kuminga gave them a decent halfway through the second quarter. Andre Iguodala will have a role to play when he returns. The depth of the Golden State is perhaps its greatest weapon. Warriors can play any way they choose. Few other candidates managed to say the same.
