Watch: Steph Curry holds Nikola Jokic back from having a go at Gary Payton II during Warriors vs Nuggets
There could have been a serious altercation between Nikola Jokic and Golden State Warriors' Gary Payton II if Steph Curry hadn't jumped in between during the match between the Warriors and the Nuggets.
The Warriors blew out the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 and have now cruised to a 2-0 series lead in the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs. They were laughing and celebrating while having fun on the court and it didn't feel like a postseason matchup at all.
The Nuggets look severely outmatched and many analysts have started to predict a sweep. Hence, one could cleary notice the visible frustration on the Denver bench and their players on the court.
During the first quarter of Game 2, 6-foot-3 Gary Payton II, aka. Young Glove, blocked 7-foot Nikola Jokic near the rim and the crowd erupted. The block was followed by a friendly tap to the bottom by Payton and the already frustrated Jokic wasn't too happy about it. He got angry and turned to fight GPII but Steph Curry stepped up to stem the tide before the matter got out of hand.
Steph had to hold Jokic back from Gary Payton II 😳 https://t.co/zU8renKztJ
The Nuggets haven't played their best in the past two games and the Denver fanbase is hoping that homecourt advantage will shift the series in their favor. They have lost by a combined 36 points in Games 1 and 2 at Chase Center and things aren't looking bright for them.
The play in question is a classic example of Nikola Jokic and his team's frustration. They have been constantly missing shots and the reigning MVP has been forced to carry the team on his back.
Jokic set the screen for Bones Hyland at the top of the key and got Warriors' Nemanja Bjelica on the rookie for the switch. Hyland went for an isolation on Bjelica and pulled up for a mid-range jumper at the elbow and missed.
Jokic battled four white jerseys to grab the offensive rebound but when he went back up for the putback, Payton II blocked him from the behind. This is the second time Young Glove has blocked The Joker in this series so far.
ANOTHER GP2 block on Jokic.
In transition, watch two defenders go to Steph, resulting in Otto Porter Jr. being wide open on the trail. https://t.co/pPt42hTad6
That block fueled a Warriors fastbreak that led to a wide-open Otto Porter Jr. beyond the arc.
Steph Curry praises Draymond Green's defense on Nikola Jokic
Before the series began, many analysts weren't convinced that Steph Curry and the 3rd-seeded Golden State Warriors could defeat the reigning MVP and the 6th-seeded Denver Nuggets.
It was because of the Warriors' lack of size and depth at the center position. However, Draymond Green has been on a mission ever since the series began and he has shown the sports world that he is capable of handling any matchup, regardless of the size difference.
Steph Curry was asked about his teammates' exceptional defense in the postgame interview after Game 2 and he showered Green with praise. He said:
"Draymond loves a challenge and we understand that it's not like you can just shut Jokic out. You're not going to keep him in single-digit scoring, he was the MVP of the league last year. It's a thing where you just make him work for the entire course of the game and try to frustrate him as much as possible."
He added:
"Try to make things difficult, even if he scores, you want everything to be difficult. That's what Draymond loves about this matchup. That one-on-one matchup, nothing is going to be easy, but if you're going to score you're going to have to earn it and that's Draymond's MO"
"Draymond loves a challenge and we understand that it's not that you're going to just shut Jokic out...but if you're going to score you're going to have to earn it and that's Draymond's MO"
Stephen Curry on Draymond Green's defense on Jokic https://t.co/kJgU5FftgO
Draymond Green continuously irritated Nikola Jokic to the point where he eventually got ejected from the game. Green took pride in defending the reigning MVP and he contained his matchup from all over the floor. Be it at the top of the key or near the low post, Green defended Jokic on postups as a scorer and also as a passer out of the pick-and-rolls.
just some clips from Draymond Green's masterful defensive performance against Nikola Jokic https://t.co/GOonfIzFX4
As much as the Warriors count on Steph Curry, Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson exploding from beyond the arc, the most important player on the Dubs right now is certainly Draymond Green for guarding Nikola Jokic.