David Adelman’s message hits home as Nuggets lock down Warriors in second half
Denver Nuggets pull away from Warriors with third-quarter turnaroundDenver’s 116–93 win over the Golden State Warriors came off the back of a halftime shift that was easy to spot. “You have to at least give the effort to the game plan,” head coach David Adelman said postgame.
Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images Denver Nuggets pull away from Warriors with third-quarter turnaround Denver’s 116–93 win over the Golden State Warriors came off the back of a halftime shift that was easy to spot. “You have to at least give the effort to the game plan,” head coach David Adelman said postgame. The team responded.
Denver allowed 53 points in the first half but clamped down in the second, giving up just 40 more. That included a decisive third quarter where Golden State went 0-for-13 from three-point range. How Denver’s defence set the tone Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images It wasn’t a strong start for the Nuggets.
They lost track of cutters, overcommitted on defence, and left shooters open, which kept Golden State in rhythm early. That changed after halftime. “Second half was much better… intensity, energy,” Nikola Jokic said.
Denver increased their ball pressure, stayed closer to shooters, and forced 15 turnovers overall. They turned those mistakes into 22 points. The improved execution was noticeable right away in the third quarter, and it carried through the rest of the game.