"So, during a timeout, assistants Terry Stotts and Chris DeMarco made a suggestion. Butler subbed in for Will Richard at the 4:21 mark of the fourth quarter, Green took the place of Brandin Podziemski with 3:50 to play, and besides a few seconds on the final possession of regulation, the five-man lineup closed out the final 8 minutes, 50 seconds of what turned into a 137-131 overtime win."
"They just thought the way Steph was going, with Jimmy out there, we were going to score, Kerr said. That was my biggest concern: Can we execute? And they just reminded me: We have Steph and Jimmy. They'll find a way to score. And they did. It was fantastic to watch the defense with that kind of size and length. Curry did what Curry does and matched the Nuggets point-for-point with 17 from the final 5 minutes of regulation onward."
Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga and Al Horford had not previously shared the court together in training camp, preseason or the regular season. Facing a 14-point deficit to the physical Nuggets led by Aaron Gordon, assistants Terry Stotts and Chris DeMarco suggested a lineup change late in the fourth quarter. Butler and Green replaced Will Richard and Brandin Podziemski, and the five-man group closed the final 8 minutes, 50 seconds through overtime. The unit outscored Denver 28-15, fueled by Curry's 17 late points and Butler's decisive shot while the defense tightened and limited Denver's shooting in the closing stretch.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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