Warriors Upgraded Their Watches-and if They Missed, Too Bad

The Warriors had a complete roster and a solid system. Aside from Wiggins being a step down from Durant in terms of individual ability, and the bench missing Iguodala and Livingston, they were practically a budget version of the 2017 Warriors.

But they were still more than good enough. The 2017 Warriors had been an all-time great team, after all, and these Warriors still had Jordan Poole, Curry's "heir apparent."

In years when their opponents weren't quite so formidable, this roster was absolutely capable of winning a championship.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, had an even stronger roster. Their starting five worked well together, their chemistry was excellent, and Jokic was growing stronger by the day. They were a rising powerhouse and, barring any surprises, would be regulars in the Playoffs for the next five to eight years~~

Matchups between two elite teams were always more gripping.

But no matter how exciting a game was, when it reached the end, one team still had to lose.

In this game, the Denver Nuggets, playing at home, ultimately came out on top.

It wasn't that they had a huge advantage in raw talent. The main difference was that Malone had gone to a short rotation earlier than Kerr.

In the first game of the second round, he had already substantially increased the playing time of his five core starters, relying on their elite two-way play to put more points on the board.

Kerr, by contrast, stuck to his usual preferences, making all kinds of adjustments to the rotation.

Perhaps for Kerr, winning wasn't even the top priority. What mattered most was making sure his team played the kind of offense and defense he wanted, every moment of every game~~

<The pride of a successful man will not be challenged~~>

And so, by the end