Five Warriors players scored in double figures and Draymond Green was at his playmaking best as Golden State cruised past the Denver Nuggets at the Oracle Arena.
In the process, the Warriors extended their lead at the top of the Western Conference to 2.0 games and clinched the tie-breaker against the Nuggets with just five games remaining.
DeMarcus Cousins scored a season-high 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, recording his eighth double-double of the season.
#DubNation@boogiecousins records a season-high 28 PTS with 12 REB & 5 AST in the @warriors win! pic.twitter.com/eN2cBcKbI7
— NBA (@NBA) April 3, 2019
Although the Warriors led for a majority of this game, the contest was eventful.
With 8:21 to go in the third quarter, Kevin Durant picked up two quick technicals and was ejected from the game, taking his Stat discrepancy. ESPN's had Durant at 14 technicals entering the night, but official NBA stats had him at 13. So he's only up to 15. Won't be suspended. https://t.co/GkEvAVSDVa
Video of Kevin Durant’s ejection. pic.twitter.com/HsBVyBwEFW
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 3, 2019
After the game, Steve Kerr shared his thoughts on KD's ejection:
Steve Kerr on the KD ejection: "Thought he deserved the first technical. Didn't think he deserved the second technical...But I think Zach Zarba is one of the best referees in the league...We move on."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 3, 2019
Despite the ejection, the Warriors were cruising past the young Nuggets, leading by 30 at one point.
In the fourth quarter, before he sat down for the rest of the game, Stephen Curry passed Chris Mullin on the franchise's all-time scoring list with his final bucket of the game.
In typical Curry fashion, he did with a three-pointer:
Stephen Curry
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 3, 2019
A walking bucket 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lAokEgNsl5
With the Warriors getting contributions all all the way down the roster, Curry only attempted 11 field goals, finishing with 17 points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals in 30 minutes of action.
Despite 24 turnovers for the game, the Warriors prevailed courtesy of their superior shooting - 54.3% from the field (Nuggets - 37.5%) and (13-of-34) 38.2% from beyond the arc, while the Nuggets connected on just 7-of-30 (23.3%) from three.
Among the remaining five games, Golden State plays three on the road, including one in Los Angeles against a LeBron-less Lakers squad. The Clippers are the only playoff team of the Warriors' remaining opponents.
On the other hand, the Nuggets play three of the five at home with four of the fivecoming against playoff opponents.
