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The NBA playoffs began Saturday, and before the Golden State Warriors played the Denver Nuggets, there were two upsets in the Western Conference. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Utah Jazz took down the Dallas Mavericks.
The first game of a series often has upsets for several reasons. Steve Kerr has played and coached in plenty of Game 1s, and he described the feeling as similar to the first day of school.
“Inevitably, for everybody, Game 1 is the first day of school or opening day of the NBA season,” Kerr told ClutchPoints. “There is a different vibe and then you get to Game 2, and the team is settled in and the playoff games feel normal, but in that first game, there are always butterflies for everybody.”
The focus all week in practice was details about situational things, and the Warriors coach made sure to emphasize that even more heading to the contest.
“I think the biggest thing is to remind the guys, that we’ve been preparing all week, but it’s still a basketball game,” Kerr said. “We go out there and let it rip and have some fun, compete and be disciplined, but have to go out there swinging.”
Warriors star Stephen Curry made his return to the court in Game 1, and his presence gave the team and fans a boost in morale. That boost was enough to get them off to a 58-47 lead at the half. The Dubs kept the momentum in their favor in the second half and ran away with the 123-107 victory.
As what Kerr advised, Golden State came out swinging. Jordan Poole was sensational with 30 points, while Klay Thompson and Curry had 19 and 16 points, respectively.
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Major contributions from multiple people are going to be key early in the series. The Warriors are off to a great start, though.
