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    Warriors vs Mavericks Game 3 score: Golden State takes 3-0 lead with win over Dallas

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    Stephen Curry scored 31 points, Andrew Wiggins added 27 while posterizing Luka Doncic on a dunk and the Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 109-100 Sunday night for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

    Klay Thompson scored 19 with a pair of big fourth-quarter 3-pointers as the Warriors moved within a victory of a return to the NBA Finals, three years after the end of a run of five consecutive trips that yielded three championships.

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    Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) dunks the ball over Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals, Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

    Golden State, which swept Portland in its most recent West finals in 2019 before Toronto won the title, goes for the sweep in Game 4 on Tuesday in Dallas. No team has rallied from 3-0 down to win an NBA playoff series.

    Doncic scored 40 and beat the first-quarter buzzer with a 32-footer that got the crowd going with the Mavericks again at home trailing 2-0, as they did against top-seeded Phoenix before winning the West semifinal series in seven games.

    But that shimmy-inducing bucket was a blip on an otherwise rough night from 3-point range for the Mavericks, who missed their first seven and finished 13 of 45.

    Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber, two long-range specialists for Dallas, missed all 12 of their 3s combined and were 0-15 overall. Both went scoreless, offsetting Spencer Dinwiddie’s 26 points off the bench. Jalen Brunson scored 20.

    Wiggins’ dunk over Doncic was originally ruled an offensive foul midway through the fourth quarter. The Warriors challenged, and the ruling was Wiggins’ elbow to Doncic was incidental contact, giving Golden State a 93-83 lead.

    Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts to a call during the second half against the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals, Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Dallas.  (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

    About a minute later, Wiggins, who had 11 rebounds, moved quickly down the right baseline for a follow dunk on a miss by Curry as the Warriors extended their NBA record with a 26th consecutive series in which they won at least one road game.

    One of Dinwiddie’s 3-pointers got Dallas within five points with 1:15 remaining, but Jordan Poole answered with one from the left wing just inside the final minute.

    WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

    The most tense moment of the series came late in the first half after a corner 3 from Curry capped an 8-0 run that put the Warriors in front by a point and helped them to a 48-47 halftime lead. And it left Curry confused.

    Curry ran the length of the court with his tongue hanging out after Dallas called timeout. As he circled back toward his bench, Curry walked by Doncic with teammate Juan Toscano-Anderson nearby.

    Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after a no call foul against Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals at American Airlines Center on May 22, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

    Doncic appeared to take issue with something Toscano-Anderson said and started toward the Golden State bench before officials along with coaches and players from both teams intervened. Meantime, Draymond Green and injured Dallas guard Tim Hardaway Jr. exchanged unpleasantries about 45 feet apart.

    After the timeout, Curry could been seen saying, “What happened?” and approached Doncic to talk about it. The exchange ended with Green as the peacemaker with Doncic.

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    TIP-INS

    Warriors: Green got a technical foul, his second of the series, after an extended conversation with official Marc Davis when he was called for a backcourt violation when he hurriedly tried to step back over the midcourt line to catch a long, unexpected pass from Curry. The crowd was howling for a technical and finally got it. Seconds later, Green was called for his first foul and didn’t like the call. But he directed his complaint at his own bench instead of the officiating crew. … Otto Porter Jr., who averaged 10.5 points on 82% shooting the first two games, limped to the locker room in the first half and was ruled out with left foot soreness.

    Mavericks: Bullock won the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar social justice award. He has been active in the LGBTQ+ community. His sister, a transgender woman, was killed in 2014. Bullock worked with several organizations in the Dallas area after signing as a free agent in the offseason and has long been active in similar pursuits in his native North Carolina. … Dorian Finney-Smith got a technical early in the second half for an elbow to the back of Green after a made Dallas free throw.

    Charles Barkley goes off on heckling Warriors fans after Golden State’s Game 1 win over Mavs: ‘Y’all suck too’

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    Golden State Warriors fans outside the Chase Center in San Francisco on Wednesday night didn’t take kindly to Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley picking the Dallas Mavericks to win the Western Conference Finals – and they made sure he knew that. 

    After the Warriors dominated the Mavs in Game 1, winning 112-87, Barkley was attempting to explain why Dallas shouldn’t be too concerned when fans behind the “Inside the NBA” set began chanting “Barkley sucks!”

    Charles Barkley talking on set before the Knicks-Cavaliers game on Oct. 25, 2016, at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

    “I thought they got great shots in the first half, they just did not go in. But the one thing we’ve learned during the playoffs, if you go back to Milwaukee-Boston Game 1, you go back to Dallas against Phoenix Game 1, nobody’s going to overreact – Hey y’all right and Y’all suck too!” he shouted at the crowd.

    MAVERICKS FINED $50,000 FOR VIOLATING NBA’S ‘BENCH DECORUM’ RULES IN GAME 7 VICTORY 

    “I love doing that,” he said after finally addressing the hecklers. 

    Trouble seemingly began when, during TNT’S Sunday night broadcast of “Inside the NBA,” Barkley picked the Mavs to win the series because of Luka Doncic‘s impact.  

    “Nobody can handle that dude one-on-one and if [Jalen] Brunson and [Spencer] Dinwiddie keep playing like they’re playing, this team is going to be tough to beat,” Barkley said at the time.

    Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks drives against the Golden State Warriors during the Western Conference Finals on May 18, 2022, at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

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    He echoed that sentiment on Wednesday night even when the Mavs were trailing the Warriors 54-45 at halftime. 

    “If they make enough shots in four out of seven games, they’re going to win this series because the way the Golden State Warriors play defense – they can’t play Luka like that. You can’t play that dude one-on-one … if the Mavs make some shots, they’re gonna win.”

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    Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is defended by Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks during the third quarter of the Western Conference Finals at Chase Center on May 18, 2022, in San Francisco.  (Harry How/Getty Images)

    Doncic scored 20 points, compared to Steph Curry’s 21-point night, but shot just 6 for 18 and 3 of 10 from deep.

    Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals will be back in San Francisco, where Barkley can surely expect the same “welcome” he received Wednesday night.

    Grizzlies rout Warriors to avoid elimination, force Game 6

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    The Memphis Grizzlies fought off elimination with the highest-scoring performance in their franchise’s postseason history.

    And with All-Star guard Ja Morant cheering from the bench. Then Morant upped the ante by chanting “Grizz in seven!”

    Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points and the Grizzlies routed the Golden State Warriors 134-95 on Wednesday night to force a sixth game in their Western Conference semifinal.

    “We’ve exceeded expectations ever since I’ve been here,” Bane said. “It almost seems whenever someone thinks we can’t do something, we end up doing it. So I never want to put a limit on this team on what we can do because anything’s possible.”

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    Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga (00) goes up for a basket as Memphis Grizzlies’ Tyus Jones (21) defends in the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn.  (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)

    Dillon Brooks added 12 points for Memphis. Ziaire Williams and Brandon Clarke had 11 apiece and De’Anthony Melton 10. Steven Adams had 13 rebounds, six offensive as Memphis outscored Golden State 24-5 on second-chance points.

    The Grizzlies never trailed, turning in their best performance of this series to pull within 3-2 even with Morant out a second straight game because of a bone bruise in his right knee. They improved to 4-11 when facing elimination.

    “We knew what was at stake,” Jackson said. “We didn’t change anything, though. We just calmed down, looked at the film, understand what we had to take away from the last game and just went out there and executed.”

    Memphis scored 77 points in the first half, the most in franchise postseason history. The Grizzlies pushed their lead to 55 in the third quarter, threatening the three biggest postseason blowouts in NBA history. Their 52-point lead after three tied for the largest in a playoff game in the past 70 years.

    “Obviously, this was a very impressive win for our group, great bounce-back for sure,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.

    When Memphis fans chanted “Whoop That Trick! Whoop That Trick!” early in the fourth, Stephen Curry laughed on the court while Draymond Green swung a towel in unison with the crowd. Green said he doesn’t respect people who only bring energy when winning.

    “When you spew it out, you’ve got to be willing to take it and not hide from it and not duck from it and not hide from it. Embrace it,” Green said. “So, I appreciated the crowd tonight and the energy they brought to the game. If they want to whoop that trick, we’re going to whoop it together.”

    Game 6 is Friday night in San Francisco, where the Warriors have won five straight playoff games and their last seven overall.

    Klay Thompson led Golden State with 19 points, Jonathan Kuminga added 17, Curry had 14 and Damion Lee and Moses Moody each had 10.

    The Warriors lost for the first time with assistant Mike Brown filling in for coach Steve Kerr, who missed his second straight game since testing positive for COVID before Game 4. Thompson said they expected to close out this series only to play “like a shell of ourselves.”

    “It was awful,” Thompson said. “It was embarrassing from the opening tip. We didn’t have great flow. They were more aggressive than us, reflecting their 30 free throws to our 13.”

    The Grizzlies got back to doing the things that helped them post the second-best record during the regular season. They outrebounded Golden State for the first time in this series 55-37, dominating the offensive boards 18-4. They forced 22 turnovers and got their best production from the bench of this series.

    Golden State, thanks to Jordan Poole coming off the bench, had outscored Memphis’ reserves each of the first four games. Facing elimination, the Grizzlies had a 28-8 edge through the first two quarters and finished with a 52-35 margin. Poole had three points.

    Memphis led 38-28 at the end of the first quarter and continued a 24-8 run into the second quarter to go up 53-36. They finished the second on a 20-4 run, including 14 straight, to outscore Golden State 39-22 for a 77-50 lead at halftime.

    Then the Grizzlies opened the third quarter outscoring Golden State 20-6. They kept pushing, outscoring Golden State 42-17 in the third for a 119-67 lead going into the fourth.

    Brown benched most of his starters by 3:44 of the third, and Jenkins followed to start the fourth resting up for a flight to California and Game 6.

    TIP-INS

    Warriors: The 39-point loss was the fifth-largest playoff loss in franchise history and largest since a 40-point loss to the Clippers on April 21, 2014, in Game 2 of the first round. They’re the sixth team in the past 10 years to lose by 39 or more in a game that didn’t end a series. Four of the previous five won the next game. … The 77 points allowed in the first half matched the most allowed all season. They also gave up 77 on Jan. 13 at Milwaukee. … The Warriors also fell to 12-4 in Game 5s since 2015. … Otto Porter Jr. played 12 minutes before being sidelined by a sore right foot.

    Grizzlies: They matched their most first-half points, also scoring 77 against New Orleans on March 8. … They went 20-5 without Morant during the regular season and are 1-1 in this series.

    “This is definitely impressive but to use our players’ phrase, ‘We deep,’” Jenkins said. “I mean we’re deep. It’s as simple as that. I think we say that not arrogantly, we say that confidently because anybody that steps out on the floor can make an impact for us.”

    POSTSEASON BLOWOUTS

    The Bucks also led Philadelphia by 52 (124-72) on March 30, 1970. Denver beat New Orleans by 58 on April 27, 2009, matching the margin Minneapolis beat St. Louis on March 19, 1956. Golden State beat the Los Angeles Lakers by 56 on April 21, 1973.

    GRIZZLIES’ D

    Memphis scored 25 points off turnovers in the first half — most by any team in the 1st half over the last 25 postseasons. The Warriors had been averaging 19 turnovers a game in this series and had 14 by halftime and finished with 20.

    BROWN’S FIRST LOSS

    Brown, the next coach of the Sacramento Kings, had been 12-0 coaching the Warriors in the postseason, winning 11 straight in the 2017 playoffs. He also won Game 4 when the Warriors took the lead for the first time with 45.7 seconds left to pull out a win for a 3-1 series lead.

    Steph Curry, Warriors rally past Grizzlies for 3-1 lead

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    Their coach sidelined again as has happened several times before, even during the playoffs, Stephen Curry took charge and led the Golden State Warriors back.

    Mike Brown grabbed the clipboard as acting head coach, just like he did during a title run five years ago with Steve Kerr out.

    Curry converted eight free throws over the final 45.7 seconds on the way to 32 points, igniting the Warriors down the stretch on the way to a 101-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night and a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

    Curry also dished out eight assists as Golden State rallied to win without Kerr after he tested positive for COVID-19 less than two hours before tipoff.

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    Golden State Warriors’ Otto Porter Jr., left, Stephen Curry (30) and Draymond Green (23) celebrate in the final seconds against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball Western Conference playoff semifinal in San Francisco, Monday, May 9, 2022. Warriors won 101-98.  (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

    “Obviously there’s butterflies, because again you’re going into the game with a certain mindset and it’s a big game. Every game that we play at this point in the year, it’s huge,” said Brown, who agreed Sunday to become the Sacramento Kings new coach after this postseason run.

    “So to have that kind of thrown at you, you’ve got to switch gears because I know what my responsibilities are going in as Mike Brown the assistant coach, and it changes.”

    But Brown has done this previously. He led the Warriors to an 11-0 record during the 2017 title run when Kerr was out dealing with debilitating symptoms from complications of back surgery two years earlier.

    “His head coaching record for a Warrior playoff game I think is undefeated,” Klay Thompson said. “We did miss Steve a lot, just his voice, his presence, but we’ve been here before, 2017 when Mike took over and we rolled off a lot of wins, so I reflected on that a lot.”

    Curry took charge and now his Warriors are one win from a trip to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2019. He tied it at 90 on a fall-away baseline jumper with 3:25 to go and his two free throws with 45.7 seconds to go gave the Warriors a 94-93 lead, their first of the night.

    Golden State scored 39 points in the fourth, topping its 38 the entire first half.

    “Nothing we figured out, it was just don’t let the first three quarters influence the fact that we still had a chance to win the game,” Curry said. “Shoot the shots you think you can make, play aggressive, take care of the ball. We did all of those things.”

    Tyus Jones had 19 points, six rebounds and five assists as Memphis missed injured All-Star Ja Morant. Dillon Brooks returned from a one-game suspension and struggled mightily, missing a 3-point try with 53 seconds left and finishing 5 for 19 with 12 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

    “It’s a tough one. It’s a tough pill to swallow. It felt like we were leading the whole game,” Jones said. “It felt like we were in a good position. It felt like we put ourselves in a good position to win a ballgame and things didn’t go our way down the stretch.”

    Andrew Wiggins had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Thompson scored 14 points despite missing all seven of his 3-point attempts for the cold-shooting Warriors, who didn’t have to contend with do-everything Morant this time. The Grizzlies guard missed the game with soreness in his right knee after Jordan Poole grabbed him while going for a loose ball late in Game 3 — leading Morant and Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins to question Poole’s intentions.

    It remained unclear whether Morant would be back for Game 5 on Wednesday in Memphis.

    Brooks sat out Game 3 as a penalty by the league for his Flagrant 2 foul that injured Gary Payton II in Game 2, when Brooks hit the Golden State guard over the head on a driving layup attempt and Payton fell hard and broke his left elbow. Kerr called it a “dirty” play and said Brooks had broken an NBA code of conduct.

    Brooks was booed nearly every time he touched the ball, fouled or when he checked back into the game.

    “He forced a couple. Trying to get his groove back,” Jenkins said. “Obviously he’s been off for a couple of days. But when he was playing with force under control, I loved the playmaking that he had.”

    Golden State trailed 69-62 going into the fourth quarter after Desmond Bane’s 32-foot 3-pointer beat the third-quarter buzzer. However, both teams struggled all night to make their 3s.

    Poole scored 14 off the bench for the Warriors as they survived a nail-biter following a postseason-record point total in Saturday’s 142-112 Game 3 blowout.

    GRIEVING GREEN

    Green’s former Michigan State teammate Adreian Payne was killed in a Florida shooting earlier in the day. Green didn’t discuss the game but committed $100,000 to form a fund in Payne’s honor.

    “It was an emotional day,” Thompson said. “Prayers up to Adreian’s family and Draymond, I know they played together. It’s just a terrible loss of life. His legacy will live on, it’s just a sad day.”

    CURRY’S KICKS

    Curry sported special edition pair of orange Curry 9 Flow sneakers with colorful decorations to honor the late TNT broadcaster Craig Sager and his impact on the NBA.

    Curry will autograph the shoes for auction on Wednesday on the NBA auction website with all proceeds going to the SagerStrong Foundation. The two-time MVP changed to lavender-colored shoes during the second half.

    “Shock the system a little bit,” he said of the switch.

    TIP-INS

    Grizzlies: C Steven Adams, who returned from the health and safety protocols to play six minutes in the waning moments of Saturday’s blowout, started and contributed 10 points and 15 rebounds as Memphis did a better job staying with the Warriors on the boards — outrebounded 54-48. … The Grizzlies were 9 of 35 on 3s.

    Warriors: The Warriors committed 11 first-half turnovers and 16 total. … Golden State started 0 for 15 from deep before Otto Porter Jr. connected 3:24 before halftime. Curry missed his initial five 3s before becoming the first player in NBA history to make 500 postseason 3-pointers when he connected 46.2 seconds before halftime. … The Warriors were the first team to go 0 of 15 from long range to start a game since the 2011 Thunder were 0 for 16 against Dallas in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, according to Elias. … The Warriors had no immediate additional positive COVID tests, the team said.

    Ja Morant best player in Warriors-Grizzlies series, Jordan Poole tops on Golden State, ex-NBA star says

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    Jordan Poole surpassed Stephen Curry as the best player on the Golden State Warriors in their playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies and neither of them has been the best player on the floor, former NBA star Antoine Walker said on Thursday.

    Walker appeared on FOX Sports’ “First Things First” to break down the best players in the Western Conference semifinals. He said it was clear that Curry was the third-best player in the series behind Poole and Morant.

    “I think Steph is the third-best player in this series. I think it goes Ja Morant, Jordan Poole and then Steph Curry. Jordan Poole is the best player on the Warriors right now. I hope you guys understand that and I think he’s proven that,” he said.

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    Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is defended by Golden State Warriors’ Jordan Poole during the playoff series Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Memphis, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

    “From the first round of the playoffs with the Denver Nuggets and even the first two games on the road, Jordan Poole is the best player on the Golden State Warriors right now. That’s why Steve Kerr had a tough time taking him out of the lineup. But Ja Morant is the best player in the series.”

    Both Curry and Poole started Games 1 and 2 in the series. The Warriors won Game 1 and the Grizzlies took Game 2. Curry was -9 in Game 1 with 24 points and -11 in Game 2 with 27 points. Poole was +10 in Game 1 with 31 points and was +2 in Game 2 with 20 points.

     WARRIORS’ STEVE KERR CALLS DILLON BROOKS’ FOUL ON GARY PAYTON II ‘DIRTY,’ GRIZZLIES PLAYER ‘BROKE THE CODE’

    Both players have been important to the Warriors’ success this season and there’s still a lot of game left in the playoff series.

    Walker stressed, however, Morant is the best player in the series.

    Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole shoots against Grizzlies guard De’Anthony Melton during the playoff series Sunday, May 1, 2022, in Memphis, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

    “Ja Morant is the best player in the series but I don’t think Ja Morant is the smartest player in the series,” former Boston Celtics star said. “And what I mean by that is, is he gonna make sure that he can keep his imprint and his foot on their neck all the time like he did the last 5 or 6 minutes of that game in scoring 15 straight points? I don’t like Ja Morant shooting 23 threes in two games. I don’t think that’s his strength. Does he have to shoot a couple? Of course because they do sag on him and you do want to make them respect you and open up your driving lanes a little bit. I worry he can fall in love with it a little too much, that he gets fatigued. We know how much energy he plays with and I just want to make sure he plays smart.

    “One thing Steph is gonna do is he’s gonna play smart. He’s gonna use picks, he’s gonna use Draymond Green. He’s gonna come off pick and rolls. He’s gonna use his teammates a lot more than Ja Morant will probably use his teammates so that’s where I’m talking about being smart because this guy has the ability to put pressure on you every play – whether it’s to score or pass.”

    Morant has become the face of the Grizzlies over the last few years. He was -1 in Game 1 with 34 points and 10 assists, nearly getting a triple-double. In Game 3, he had 47 points and was +13.

    Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole is congratulated by guard Stephen Curry after scoring against the Denver Nuggets in San Francisco, April 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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    Game 3 between the two teams is set for 8:30 p.m. Saturday in San Francisco. 

    Warriors rally after Draymond Green ejected, beat Grizzlies in Game 1

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    Klay Thompson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds left, and the Golden State Warriors overcame Draymond Green’s first-half ejection to edge the Memphis Grizzlies 117-116 on Sunday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

    Jordan Poole led the Warriors with 31 points off the bench, hitting 5 of 10 3-pointers. Stephen Curry added 24 points, Andrew Wiggins had 17 and Thompson finished with 15.

    Green was ejected for a flagrant foul just before halftime.

    Thompson missed both free throws with 6.7 seconds left, then Memphis won a jump ball before taking a timeout with 3.6 seconds remaining to set up the final play. The Grizzlies ran a play similar to Ja Morant’s last-second layup to win Game 5 in the first round, but Morant’s layup went over the rim.

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    Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after being ejected in the first half during Game 1 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

    Morant finished with 34 points and 10 assists, and Jaren Jackson Jr. matched his season high with six 3-pointers and had a career-high 33 points as Memphis’ first pair of teammates to score at least 30 in a playoff game. D’Anthony Melton added 14, and Brandon Clarke had 12.

    The Grizzlies finished their first-round series by coming back from double-digit deficits in their final three wins — the first team in NBA history to do that more than once in a postseason, let alone a series. They came in leading the NBA in the fourth with an average of 33 points and outscoring opponents by 10.3 points a game.

    This time, they could only match the Warriors point for point in the period.

    Memphis edged the Warriors out for the No. 2 seed in the West by tying the franchise record with 56 wins, and the Grizzlies also took three of four in their season series. Thompson only played one and Green two of those games and Curry three.

    This was a rematch with role reversals from the 2015 semifinal the Warriors won as the younger team with Memphis led by experienced vets. This also was just the first time the Warriors started a conference semifinal on the road and third playoff series Golden State didn’t start at home with Steve Kerr as coach.

    The Warriors mixed up their lineup, benching Poole in favor of Gary Payton II to focus on defending Morant, the Grizzlies’ All-Star point guard and the NBA’s Most Improved Player this season.

    Morant opened the game with back-to-back 3s, half of what he made the entire first round against Minnesota, and he had 14 to help the Grizzlies lead 32-24 after the first quarter. It marked the first time Memphis held an opponent to fewer than 30 points this postseason.

    The Grizzlies led by as much as 13 in the second quarter and were up 61-55 at halftime.

    With 1:18 left in the second, Green fouled Brandon Clarke. Officials reviewed the play for several minutes with fans chanting “Throw him out!” Green finished with six points, four rebounds and five turnovers.

    Curry was held to eight points in the first half, none in the second and picked up his third foul seconds after Green’s ejection.

    Curry was held to eight points in the first half, none in the second. But he scored 13 and Poole had 10 in the third as the Warriors outscored Memphis 36-29 and led 91-90 after the third. Golden State was 14 of 21 shooting in the third, including 5 of 7 outside the arc.

    TIP-INS

    Warriors: Curry passed Dennis Johnson for 23rd for most playoff points with 3,123. Next up is Paul Pierce with 3,180. … Kevon Looney and Poole started the second half in place of Green and Payton, who started but was limited to eight minutes by three early fouls. … The Warriors also started on the road against Houston in 2018 and Toronto in 2019. … They won a road game in a series extending their NBA record to a 25th consecutive series.

    Grizzlies: Steven Adams, who led the NBA in offensive rebounds per game during the regular season, missed a second straight game in the health and safety protocols. Ziaire Williams missed his second game with a sore right knee.

    Stephen Curry, Warriors hold off Nikola Jokic, eliminate Nuggets in Game 5

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    Back in the starting lineup at last, Stephen Curry took over late and brought his team back just as he has so many times during Golden State’s deep postseason runs.

    Curry scored 30 points in his return to the starting five and the Warriors beat Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 102-98 on Wednesday night to win their first-round series in five games.

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    It has been three years since Curry carried Golden State on a big playoff stage — like those five straight trips to the NBA Finals — but he’s certainly still got it.

    “Tonight was just a weird feeling because we hadn’t been there in a while,” said Curry, last season’s NBA scoring champion. “We wanted it so bad, kind of made it a lot more difficult on ourselves. But we still remember how to do it, which is a good feeling.”

    Curry scored 11 points during the fourth quarter after the Warriors began the final 12 minutes down by eight. The two-time MVP converted a three-point play with 1:33 left and scored again with 29 seconds remaining to help send the Warriors on to the second round in the Western Conference.

    “I was a witness, letting him cook, create plays for him. Try to get him open looks and after that, you know what he does,” Warriors guard Gary Payton II said.

    Jokic scored 12 of his 30 points in the final 3:46 and finished with 19 rebounds and eight assists.

    Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is congratulated by Draymond Green (23) during a timeout in the first half of Game 5 of the team’s NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets in San Francisco, Wednesday, April 27, 2022.  (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

    The Warriors — thriving with the support from their raucous home crowd in their first close-out playoff game at Chase Center — advanced to play the winner of the Memphis-Minnesota series led 3-2 by the Grizzlies heading into Game 6 on Friday in Minneapolis. The Grizzlies eliminated Golden State in the play-in round last year.

    Jokic tied it at 90 on an 18-footer with 2:26 remaining before Payton made a layup moments later. Payton also hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from the corner in front of Denver’s bench with 6:57 left to put Golden State up 86-84. He finished with 15 points.

    “He was incredible, both ends of the floor, big shots, big plays,” teammate Draymond Green said.

    Payton found his dad, former NBA star Gary Payton, after the final buzzer just for a quick hello.

    Jokic converted two free throws with 3:46 left after Green’s foul the Golden State defensive star wanted called on the 7-footer. Jokic wound up 12 for 18 from the floor. DeMarcus Cousins contributed 19 points off the bench against his former Golden State team, and Aaron Gordon added 15 points and nine rebounds.

    Jokic had an answer, time and again.

    “That guy is a warrior. I just don’t understand the people that find a way to criticize Nikola Jokic. Is he perfect? No, I’m not saying he is,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “But the guy is the definition of a warrior — competitive, consistent. He impacts the game in so many ways. Hell of a season. Hopefully he’ll win the MVP again. I think rightfully he deserves it.”

    Denver made seven of its first 10 shots after halftime to turn a 48-all tie into a 66-56 lead. Curry’s 3 with 4:06 left pulled the Warriors to 68-67.

    Curry shot 10 of 22 with five 3-pointers. He came off the bench in the first four games, with the series beginning one month from when he sprained a ligament in his left foot March 16 against Boston.

    “Thankfully I got through pretty much unscathed,” Curry said, happy to have a few days off to rest the foot.

    Golden State coach Steve Kerr went small with Curry, Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson, as Kevon Looney came off the bench. Thompson had 15 points and nine rebounds.

    Kerr challenged the Warriors to “get back to being us.” They had given up 30 points off 15 turnovers and committed 27 fouls that led to 36 free throws for Denver in a 126-121 road loss Sunday.

    Golden State didn’t want to go back to Denver for a Game 6, and Curry guided the way to get it done at home.

    “He’s our leader, our longest-tenured player, our MVP,” Thompson said of his Splash Brother, “and without him, life is difficult. Steph Curry is one of a kind, and will continue to do the spectacular and make it look effortless.”

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    GREEN’S D

    Green was whistled for his first foul 20 seconds into the game, much like Game 4 when he fouled 40 seconds into the opening quarter.

    Green had 11 points and six assists. His three blocked shots moved him past Kevin Garnett for 22nd on the NBA’s career postseason list.

    “I feel like he’s built for the playoffs,” Kerr said. “This is what he’s all about, when you can actually exert the energy that he exerts and the competitive force and get a day off the next day and not have three games in five nights in every city.”

    After the game, Green found Jokic for a word.

    “I told him, ‘Thank you for making me better,’” Green said. “It’s an honor to play against someone so talented, so skilled.”

    TIP-INS

    Nuggets: Austin Rivers exited late in the first with tightness in his right hamstring and played just 4 1/2 minutes. … Denver shot 3 of 14 from deep in the first half and 6 for 29 overall. … Jokic had 10 rebounds in his initial 11 minutes.

    Warriors: Curry (3,108) passed Julius Erving (3,088) for 24th place on the NBA’s playoff scoring list. … The Warriors are 12-3 in Game 5s since winning the 2015 championship for the franchise’s first title in 40 years. … Golden State was held below 50% shooting for the first time in five games.

    Steph Curry scores 34 points off bench, Warriors lead Nuggets 2-0

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    Stephen Curry drove to the basket with fervor and knocked down a 3-pointer while falling to the ground getting fouled to convert a key four-point play, exhibiting all the signs he’s his healthy former self at last.

    And the raucous home crowd loved every minute of No. 30’s galloping, grinning, body-shaking show.

    Curry came off the bench for a second straight game following a month-long absence with a foot injury, scoring 34 points to lead the Golden State Warriors past the Denver Nuggets 126-106 on Monday night for a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series.

    “The first half a little pep in my step and the body felt good, I was able to kind of get to some spots,” Curry said. “When you make certain shots it feels a little different, it feels a little bit more normal and more emotion kind of comes out, especially with that layoff, so it was a nice feeling.”

    He was only on the floor 3 seconds shy of 23 minutes, and no player in the shot clock era had scored as many as 30 points in 23 or fewer minutes in a playoff game, according to Elias.

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    Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry dribbles the ball up the court against the Denver Nuggets during the second half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in San Francisco, Monday, April 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

    “It didn’t surprise me because we’ve been watching this for a long time with Steph,” coach Steve Kerr said. “You never really are surprised when he has an outburst like that. It’s great to see.”

    Nikola Jokic had 26 points and 11 rebounds before being ejected with 7 minutes left after a second technical and was held back from a referee, after his first technical came with 2:31 to go in the third.

    “I’m not supposed to do that, and I’m not going to do that,” Jokic said. “I think I got fouled in the moment because I heard the slap. That’s why I just reacted.”

    The MVP candidate’s emotions ran high all night. In the first quarter, Golden State guard Gary Payton II patted Jokic on the backside and the big man turned and came toward Payton when Curry stepped in and held the 7-footer back and Jordan Poole came in to help.

    Draymond Green’s defense flustered Jokic all night.

    “If you feel like you’re getting under their skin you press up a little more,” Green said. “If you don’t feel like you’re getting under their skin, you press up a little more.”

    Poole started for Curry again and contributed 29 points — just missing a chance to become the first Warriors player ever to score 30 in his first two playoff games.

    Klay Thompson added 21 points, while Curry shot 12 for 17 with five 3s as Denver again had no answer defensively for all of the Warriors’ dangerous perimeter threats.

    The series shifts to Denver for Game 3 on Thursday night.

    Will Curry start? He said his goal for now is “to make my minutes impactful.”

    “We’ll see,” Kerr said.

    The Warriors are rolling with the backing of their adoring fans, winning their seventh in a row overall following a five-game winning streak to close the regular season.

    Golden State used runs of 16-0 and 23-4 late in the second quarter to erase a 43-31 deficit and take a 57-51 lead at the break. On one particularly dazzling sequence, Green bounced a pass to Poole who threw it behind his back to Thompson for a layup that made it 54-47.

    Austin Rivers grabbed at his left hip and went down hard after getting hurt on a drive then Thompson hit a jumper on the other end in the 5-on-4 advantage before Rivers exited with 10:04 left in the second quarter. He returned with 46.7 seconds to go in the half.

    The Nuggets went ahead 43-31 on Monte Morris’ layup at the 7:25 mark of the second quarter and the Warriors answered with 16 straight points. The Chase Center crowd went crazy on Poole’s 3 with 3:38 remaining.

    Curry entered for the first time at the 6:32 mark of the first to a roaring ovation and immediately hit a jumper. With 16 first-half points he became the 27th player in NBA history to score 3,000 career postseason points.

    He showed a full range of moves including driving to the basket with a fervor and making a 3-pointer while falling to the ground.

    Denver took a 7-0 lead 90 seconds into the game as Jokic made four quick free throws. But the teams combined to start 6 for 21 with three field goals apiece — and the Warriors were 1 for 7 on 3s.

    FRUSTRATION BOILS OVER

    During the Warriors’ 44-point third quarter, Denver’s DeMarcus Cousins and Will Barton exchanged words.

    “That’s two games in a row where you’re in the game, then snap of the finger you’re out of the game, and it just seems like it happens that quickly. So I think it’s just frustration,” coach Michael Malone said.

    TIP-INS

    Nuggets: Jokic shot 9 for 20 and has missed all eight of his 3-point tries in two games. … Denver committed costly turnovers once more, 18 of them leading to 25 Warriors points — something Malone stressed couldn’t happen.

    Warriors: Curry, Poole and Thompson combined to go 31 for 52 from the floor with 13 3s. It was the fourth time three Warriors guards scored 20 or more points and first since 2013. … While the Warriors held a 41-35 rebounding advantage in the series opener, Denver led 47-35 on Monday. … Golden State is 17-4 in Game 2 of the playoffs dating to the 2015 title run when the franchise captured its first championship in 40 years. … Andre Iguodala sat out with neck spasms.

    QUOTABLE

    Malone on the Nuggets needing to improve communication in Game 2: “It was definitely addressed during the game, yesterday, this morning. The good thing is when it is horrendous it usually can’t get any more horrendous so there’s only one way for it to go.”

    Jordan Poole shines in playoff debut, Steph Curry back as Warriors win

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    Coach Steve Kerr suddenly faces a playoff conundrum: start Stephen Curry again for Game 2 of the playoffs for Golden State and move Jordan Poole back to the bench or stick with what worked so well in the opener and be extra cautious with Curry.

    ‘Yeah, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Kerr said, smiling.

    Poole shined in his playoff debut with 30 points, staying in the starting lineup as Curry returned from a foot injury, and the Warriors smothered Nikola Jokic to beat the Denver Nuggets 123-107 on Saturday night in Game 1 of the first-round series.

    For now, Curry sure had a blast watching Poole and Splash Brother Klay Thompson do their thing from the opening tip.

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    Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, left, is congratulated by guard Stephen Curry (30) after scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in San Francisco, Saturday, April 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

    “I have no expectations on what’s next because we’re always trying to figure this out because this is kind of a tough situation to deal with in terms of the quick ramp up that I’ve had and this is a playoff-type intensity and atmosphere,” Curry said.

    Healthy at last, Thompson returned to the playoff stage for the first time in nearly three years following two serious injuries and scored 19 points with five 3-pointers.

    “Jordan Poole, wow, what a playoff debut,” Thompson said. “… He’s just incredible. What a star in the making.”

    The perimeter combination of Curry, Poole and Thompson proved too much for the Nuggets — with Poole acknowledging “it’s pretty lethal.”

    Jokic had 25 points and 10 rebounds for Denver, facing stifling defense in the paint from Draymond Green and Kevon Looney while shooting 12 for 25.

    Jokic credited both of them for making his shots tough.

    “They have the tools. I think I missed a couple of easy ones, but I think that they were defending me really well,” Jokic said. “So I need to be better. I just need to at least make the layups and easy shots.”

    Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Monday night at Chase Center — which hosted its first playoff game since opening in fall 2019. Fans received black T-shirts reading “Gold Blooded.”

    Curry came off the bench to contribute 16 points in 21 minutes after missing exactly a month with a sprained ligament in his left foot. The two-time MVP tested it in a scrimmage Thursday, came off the bench and had a minutes restriction. He checked in at the 5:58 mark of the first quarter to a rousing ovation.

    Curry missed his first five shots before a layup that went in on a goaltending call against Aaron Gordon 1:14 before halftime, then knocked down a 3 from the top of the arc as the Warriors took a 58-47 lead at the break.

    Golden State won its final five games to end the regular season and kept rolling.

    “Give them credit. This is a very talented team with tremendous playoff experience. I think the key stretch was the end of the second quarter,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “You don’t want to play from behind in this building against this team.”

    Jokic averaged 28 points, 15.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the four matchups with the Warriors, three won by the Nuggets but only one by double digits. But Green hadn’t faced Denver this season, so his addition was huge.

    “You feel it. He stepped it up a notch,” Poole said of Green. “Being our leader, we feed off his energy.”

    Green hit a 3 from the top over Jokic with 1:47 left in the third, then the Nuggets star committed a turnover moments later as Gary Payton II capitalized with a basket that put Golden State up 89-68.

    Green wound up with 12 points, nine assists, six rebounds and three blocked shots for a Warriors team that lost last year in the play-in round to Memphis and is back in the playoffs for the first time since losing the 2019 NBA Finals in six games to Toronto.

    That was Thompson’s last playoff game, when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee that required surgery before he tore his right Achilles tendon in November 2020 and had that repaired — costing him more than 2 1/2 years until he came back in January.

    Gordon and Thompson were hit with double technicals at the 6:25 mark of the second.

    “We can’t beat ourselves and the Warriors in the same game,” Malone said, “and we did that tonight.”

    PLAYOFF DEBUT

    Poole warmed up in a T-shirt reading “Poole Party” then dazzled on the big postseason stage, shooting 9 for 13 with five 3s while starting in Curry’s place. He joined Wilt Chamberlain and Mitch Richmond as the only players in franchise history with 30 points in a postseason debut.

    “He’s demonstrated he’s ready for pretty much any moment,” Curry said.

    With 2:54 before halftime, Poole cut one way then the other through the key for a layup and got fouled by Will Barton and converted the three-point play. Poole hollered in celebration as Curry stared him down in delight.

    “There’s no better feeling than having the guys behind you who have already been through the fight,” Poole said.

    He made his first six shots and had 17 points by intermission.

    TIP-INS

    Nuggets: DeMarcus Cousins was ejected with 10:28 left after back-to-back technicals. He had seven points and two rebounds against his former team. … Denver shot 11 for 35 from deep, Jokic missing his four 3-point tries.

    Warriors: Looney, who played all 82 regular-season games, grabbed seven boards as the Warriors led on rebounds 41-35. … The Warriors went 6-6 down the stretch without Curry, winning their final five regular-season games.

    Stephen Curry’s status for Warriors playoff opener unclear

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    Stephen Curry‘s status for Golden State‘s playoff opener Saturday against Denver remains unclear as he rehabs a sprained ligament in his left foot.

    The reigning scoring champion has been doing individual work on the court in recent days and could be integrated into full practices and scrimmages sometime this week. The Warriors said Tuesday that “his eventual return to game action — and the possibility of playing this weekend — is undetermined and will be based on his continued progress.”

    “He continues to get his work in,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s literally day to day, so tomorrow we’ll meet with the team and go through our strategy, our game plan, practice in the afternoon and then each day we’ll just determine where Steph is as far as how much he’ll be able to do.”

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    Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, middle, watches during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers in San Francisco, Thursday, April 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

    Curry was injured March 16 at home against Boston and Golden State went 6-6 without him, finding some rhythm to win the final five regular-season games.

    Kerr said his team will scrimmage Thursday, so that could be Curry’s first opportunity to test the foot in live action if he’s ready. He won’t play in a game until he has been in a scrimmage.

    “The whole team will need a scrimmage given that we generally play every other day and all of a sudden we have six days between games, that’s pretty unique,” Kerr said. “Everybody will need a scrimmage but it would be irresponsible to put Steph out there in a playoff game without having scrimmage time before.”

    The Warriors finished 53-29 to secure the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. They will host the Nuggets on Saturday night in Game 1 of the first round at Chase Center.

    “At the end of the week we’ll determine whether he’s ready or not,” Kerr said when asked whether there is a timetable for making a decision about Curry’s availability. “It’s hard to predict much.”

    Playing Boston, Curry was injured with 4:19 remaining in the second quarter while scrambling for a loose ball. Marcus Smart made a diving lunge on the play and landed on the two-time MVP’s leg. Curry grimaced in pain and got up but hobbled along before exiting on the next dead ball moments later.