Curry comes off bench, key Warriors wing out for Game 2 vs. Nuggets
In Warriors' Game 1 win, Steph Curry scored 16 points off the bench
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 16: Golden State Warriors’ Jordan
Poole (3) is congratulated by Stephen Curry (30) after drawing a foul
and scoring back-to-back against the Denver Nuggets in the second
quarter of Game 1 of their NBA first round playoff series at Chase
Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (Ray
Chavez/Bay Area News Group)against
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 16: Golden State Warriors’ Jordan
Poole (3) is congratulated by Stephen Curry (30) after drawing a foul
and scoring back-to-back against the Denver Nuggets in the second
quarter of Game 1 of their NBA first round playoff series at Chase
Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (Ray
Chavez/Bay Area News Group)against
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: April 18, 2022 at 6:37 p.m. | UPDATED: April 19, 2022 at 4:12
a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/04/18/steph-curry-will-again-come-off-bench-for-warriors-nuggets-game-2/

SAN FRANCISCO — Steph Curry came off the bench for Game 2 of the
Warriors’ playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.

Curry also came off the bench in Golden State’s Game 1 win on Saturday
after being sidelined for a month with a right foot sprain and bone
bruise. The 34-year-old scored 16 points with three 3-pointers in 22
minutes.

Jordan Poole started again Curry’s place, a role he embraced with a
team-leading 30-point effort in Game 1. Klay Thompson, Draymond Green,
Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney started on Monday night as the Warriors
try to take a 2-0 lead in this first-round series.

In his eighth career playoff run, this is the first time that Curry will
start off the bench in consecutive playoff games.

“It was nice to get back out there,” Curry said after the 123-107 win
Saturday night. “It was nice to feel a playoff vibe again. Obviously,
it’s different coming off the bench and trying to make the most of the
minutes that are appropriate right now and had to kind of control
adrenaline for the first six minutes until I got out there and
everything went fine.”

In Game 1, Curry sat for the first six minutes of the first quarter,
shook off some rust, and didn’t make a shot attempt until the second
quarter. He found his rhythm as the game progressed, and his immense
gravity alongside Poole, Thompson, Wiggins and Green propelled the
Warriors to extend their lead before halftime before they fully took
control in the third quarter.

- Andre Iguodala out with neck spasms

The Warriors entered the playoffs with a clean slate when it comes to
injuries — save for Curry and James Wiseman, who has missed the entire
season recovering from knee surgery — but a new name popped up late
Monday afternoon.

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Iguodala, 38, is out for Game 2 with neck spasms, an injury that cropped
up hours before tipoff. Coach Steve Kerr said he found out as he drove
to Chase Center for the game that Iguodala would be doubtful for the game.

“It’s a bummer,” Kerr said. “We’ll just have to see how the game is
going. We played 10 guys the other night. Most teams don’t play 10 in
the playoffs. We could very easily divvy up the minutes between nine.
Play more Gary (Payton II) more Jordan or do more Klay. We could easily
do that or if the game called for another guy off the bench we could do
that, too.”

Iguodala went scoreless in 14 minutes on Saturday with four assists and
two rebounds — his role as an impactful will be missed in a rotation
that thrives with him and Draymond Green switching off as point forwards.

--
Shayna Rubin | Oakland Athletics reporter