Revisiting the Warriors’ 2013 Upset of the Denver Nuggets
By Ryan Hurlow
The 2012-2013 NBA season was the beginning of something special for the Golden State Warriors and their fans. It signified the rebirth of a franchise and established a core of players that would take the league by storm.
The Warriors weren’t even supposed to reach the post-season in 2013. ESPN analysts projected that they would finish in 10th place. They had just traded their franchise player in Monta Ellis for an injury-plagued Andrew Bogut and Richard Jefferson a move that left fans confused and frustrated as to where this team was heading.
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The playoff dreams of the franchise relied heavily upon Stephen Curry, who had just recovered from a season ending ankle surgery, and Andrew Bogut, who played four of the first five regular season games, and didn’t return until January 2013. Mark Jackson was still a relatively inexperienced head coach attempting to implement a defensive mindset to a team that’s been historically bad defensively.
Proving the doubters wrong, the Warriors scratched and clawed their way to the sixth seed, amassing 44 wins and 38 losses. They were scheduled to face the third-seeded Denver Nuggets in the first round. The Warriors entered the playoffs as the massive underdogs once again, with numerous experts predicting Denver to easily handle Golden State. The formidable Nuggets finished the regular season with 57 wins and had won 27 straight at home.
This playoff series was the first post-season appearance for the Warriors since 2007, and would again go down as one of the most memorable moments in franchise history.
David Lee, coming off an All-Star appearance and a brilliant regular season, went down with a hip injury in Game 1. The Warriors would go on to lose a closely contested match thanks to an Andre Miller game winner.
The Warriors came out in dominant fashion in Game 2, capped off by an incredibly athletic dunk from Harrison Barnes.
While Game 3 marked the first playoff win at Oracle arena in six years. Game 4 was the highlight of the series. Andrew Bogut fully justified the Monta Ellis trade with an incredible performance. Not only did he command the paint, he finished a furious revenge poster over Javale McGee that would cause Oracle to explode.
Later on, Stephen Curry would put on a display for the ages, scoring 22 in the third quarter and single-handedly putting the Nuggets away. Game 4, along with his 54=point night at Madison Square Garden, was a statement game for Curry. He showed the world just how dangerous he is on the court.
After dropping Game 5 in Denver, the Warriors escaped with a win at Oracle during Game 6.
The Warriors’ title as the league’s laughingstock evaporated after the 2012-2013 season. The Splash Brothers nickname would soon become household, and Curry would go from a promising young point guard to a budding superstar. It’s interesting to compare the Warriors and Nuggets as of today, as their fortunes have reversed. The Warriors’ main concern has shifted from making the playoffs to making it to the NBA Finals. The Nuggets, once a solid uptempo team, have gone through two head coaches in George Karl and Brian Shaw, and currently sit at 12th place in the Western Conference.
The team has evolved since the series against Denver. Curry and Klay Thompson have proven themselves to be the league’s best backcourt. Draymond Green went from a second round defensive specialist to a swiss army knife that will be commanding a max contract this summer. The upcoming post-season can’t come soon enough as the Warriors are no longer underdogs looking to make a statement; they’re contenders looking to win a title.