Far from being intimidated, the Denver Nuggets fought hard until the final buzzer to avoid a sweep. By defeating the Golden State Warriors 126-121 at Ball Arena, they've extended the series and forced a trip back to San Francisco. This resilience is part of their DNA; they are one of the few teams to have successfully fought back from 3-1 deficits in the past.
The Denver Nuggets are not daunted. No team has ever won four elimination games in a single postseason series. Denver Nuggets battled well and played strong towards the end to overcome back-to-back 3-1 playoff deficits in league history. Nuggets avoided a series sweep by the Golden State Warriors with a 126-121 win at Ball Arena. Denver Nuggets has sent the rough-and-tumble series back to San Francisco.
History shows that a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs is usually a death sentence, with 143 teams failing to recover. Yet, the Nuggets have shown they aren't afraid of the climb, having made history two years ago by overcoming 3-1 deficits in back-to-back series against the Clippers and the Jazz.
Nikola Jokic, the frontrunner for MVP, admitted after the game that they were the underdogs, though he noted that his team often thrives when the odds are against them. Jokic led the scoring with 37 points and provided the key assist to Will Barton for a decisive three-pointer in the closing seconds, ensuring the Nuggets avoided elimination.
This victory served as redemption for the Nuggets, who had previously fallen apart in the closing moments of Game 3. This time, they matched the Warriors' physical intensity and stayed composed during the final stretch.
Stephen Curry put up 33 points for Golden State, but in a surprising twist, he struggled at the line, missing three critical free throws late in the game. Klay Thompson contributed 32 points, 22 of which came after he picked up his fourth foul late in the first half. Meanwhile, Jordan Poole struggled to find his rhythm, scoring only 11 points—a sharp drop from his 27.8 average earlier in the series.
The Nuggets surged ahead in the second quarter, fueled by rookie Bones Hyland hitting three straight triples to build a 40-23 lead, and they maintained a comfortable nine-point cushion heading into the final frame. Though Curry hit a jumper to put the Warriors up 121-119, Jokic responded with a clutch finger-roll layup to tie the score.
After nearly blowing a 17-point lead, Monte Morris stepped up to break the 121-121 deadlock with only 33.5 seconds remaining. Morris finished with 24 points, including a playoff-record five three-pointers in a single quarter. The Warriors' collapse was punctuated by a missed dunk from Andrew Wiggins, as Golden State failed to score in the final 80 seconds.
The high-stakes series now heads back to San Francisco, where Game 5 is set for Wednesday night.