Apr 23, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson (3) guards Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) in the second quarter during game two in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Golden State Warriors: 131

Denver Nuggets: 117

If you’re a fan of offensive basketball, than this is the series for you. Both of these young teams are high speed, offensive juggernauts that will not hold back their fire. Sure enough, neither team disappointed when it came to scoring buckets in Game 2. Yet, only one team can emerge victorious.

Golden State had a sour taste in their mouths after Andre Miller’s game winning layup for Denver in Game 1. How exactly did they respond? By simply scoring 131 points, no big deal. Golden State shot a remarkable 64% from the field and 56% from three point range. Four of Golden State’s starters scored 20+ points, with Stephen Curry leading the way with 30 points and 13 assists.

Denver, having lost its first home game since losing to the Washington Wizards on January 18, was no slouch scoring 117 points on 50% shooting. This was just a situation where great outshined good.

The Warriors were dominant, scoring 35 points in three quarters, all without their All Star double-double machine, David Lee who was injured in the previous game. This meant someone had to step up.

My Unsung Hero of the game is Jarrett Jack. Stephen Curry carried the load statistically, but as the team’s premier star, that is expected. Jack started in the new, adjusted starting lineup due to Lee’s untimely injury. He also pitched in 26 points on 10-15 shooting, and dished out seven assists.

It’s hard to point out any one player from Denver to blame considering it was a team effort, but JaVale McGee only grabbed three rebounds, which isn’t very impressive for an athletic 7-footer. In his defense, Golden State was not missing much at all, though as much as some of his teammates were missing shots (ex: Wilson Chandler 4-15 FG), he could have kept the ball, and pace, on Denver’s side a little bit more by hitting the offensive glass with purpose.

The momentum has shifted now with the series heading to Golden State, and going forward, both teams are going to have to concentrate their efforts defensively and on the glass. Both teams are proven scorers that like to move fast. The team that can slow the game down and still manage to produce will outlast the other and move on to the next round. Denver will have to make some immediate noise if they don’t want to completely hand this series over.

Tune in this Friday, April 26, 2013, to see which team takes the lead in what looks to be an exciting Game 3 in Golden State. Tip off is scheduled for 10:30 PM ET.

Follow me on Twitter @JohnYJArmstrong and respond with your thoughts and comments!

Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Playoff Schedule

Game 1 – Saturday, April 20, Golden State at Denver, 5:30 p.m., ESPN

Game 2 – Tuesday, April 23, Golden State at Denver, 10:30 p.m., TNT

Game 3 – Friday, April 26, Denver at Golden State, 10:30 p.m., ESPN2

Game 4 – Sunday, April 28, Denver at Golden State, 9:30 p.m., TNT

Game 5* – Tuesday, April 30, Golden State at Denver, TBD

Game 6* – Thursday, May 2, Denver at Golden State, TBD

Game 7* – Saturday, May 4, Golden State at Denver, TBD

Season Record

Denver Nuggets (57-25, second in Northwest Division) vs Golden State Warriors (47-35, second in Pacific Division)

Season Series: Denver Nuggets 3-1

November 10, 2012 (107-101 for Denver)

November 23, 2012 (102-91 for Denver)

November 29, 2012 (106-105 for Golden State)

January 13, 2013 (116-105 for Denver)

Key Matchups

Ty Lawson vs Stephen Curry

Kenneth Faried vs David Lee

Andre Iguodala vs Klay Thompson

Stat Leaders

Points: Nuggets – Ty Lawson (16.7), Stephen Curry (22.9)

Rebounds: Nuggets – Kenneth Faried (9.2), David Lee (11.2)

Assists: Nuggets – Ty Lawson (6.9), Stephen Curry (6.9)

Fun Fact

The Denver Nuggets 57-regular season wins and 38 victories at home were both franchise-records.

How the Denver Nuggets will win this series:

Denver leads the league in points in the paint and shots taken around the rim. With the health of Warriors center Andrew Bogut still up in the air, the Nuggets should look to attack the rim on a consistent basis and push the ball up the court, not allowing Golden State to set up their defense. They should also look to take advantage of their home-court, especially with the altitude, which is always an issue for opponents. The Warriors can score with the best of them (7th), but no one does it better than Denver (first overall). Golden State can score 115, but the Nuggets could easily score 120.

How the Golden State Warriors will win this series:

The Warriors are going to have to “make it rain” from downtown to keep up with the Nuggets on offense. Golden State is the only team in the NBA shooting above 40% from behind-the-arc on the year. Three players (Jarrett Jack, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson) all shoot higher than 40%, as well. Denver allows the most three-pointers to the opposition in the league (23.1), so they will get plenty of opportunities. Denver is also hobbling in to the postseason, with Danilo Gallinari out for the season, and both Kenneth Faried and Ty Lawson banged up.

This is going to be one of the hardest series to call in the first round. A Warriors win wouldn’t shock anyone, even with the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

Final Prediction: Golden State Warriors in seven

Chris Walder is the Editor of Sir Charles in Charge. You may follow him on Twitter at @WalderSports

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