Denver and Golden State in First Round Battle Royal

The Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors are locked in a battle royal in their NBA first round best of seven Western Conference series. The series can be described as having elbows to the head, forearms in the throat, kicks in the ankles, pushes, shoves, bruised and bloodied lips, swollen eyes and illegal screens. This series has been anything but a walk in the park for both teams.

Game 5 was won by the Denver Nuggets and the series is now 3-2 in favor of Golden State. Following game 5, Golden State’s head coach Mark Jackson complained that the Nuggets had played dirty and players from both sides promised there would be more physical play to come. Kenneth Faried the Nuggets forward said he thought the tough play was just beginning.

Jackson said following the game that he felt the Nuggets had roughed up Stephen Curry his point guard, which will make the Warriors’ home crowd if more raucous on Thursday night, if that is possible. If Denver can find a way to win on the road, they could extend the series to seven and play the final game on their home court where they were 40-4 overall this season.

Jackson spoke prior to his team’s Wednesday practice saying the Nuggets will try to rough up Curry, set illegal picks and play a very physical game.

The formula worked for the Nuggets in game 5 as they led the entire game, scored points in the paint, helped get their transition game back on track and curbed the production of Curry while bothering Golden State’s Andrew Bogut down low.

Jackson, who played for the New York Knicks and was accused often of using tactics that were over the line with opponents seemed to be trying to get the officials attention with his politicking about Denver sending hit men out on his point guard Curry during game 5. Jackson on several occasions spoke of the foul committed by Faried during the first half, when the forward for Denver stuck out his leg and moved his body as Curry ran through traffic down low.

Even though Denver took the game to the Warriors, Golden State worked their way back from a 22-point deficit but could not get the win.
However, in their rally they used some of their own physical play being called for two flagrant fouls. Denver coach Karl even joked afterwards whether or not the Warriors’ Draymond Green attended Michigan State to play basketball or football.

Green’s physical play resulted not only in a flagrant foul called against him by Andre Miller received a bloody lip and Denver guard Ty Lawson an elbow on the head.

The game will be full of physicality and that added to the loud raucous Golden State crowd should make for a wild game 6. Golden State needs the win to knock out the Nuggets and move on to play San Antonio, while the Nuggets need the win to return to the Pepsi Center to take on the Warriors in a winner takes all seventh game.