Golden State picks up big win over Denver

The Golden State Warriors picked up a big win Wednesday night and moved one step closer to clinching the top-seed in the west. The Warriors knocked off the Denver Nuggets 116-102, moving them two games ahead of Denver in the conference standings.

Wednesdays night’s result made things a little bit more clear with the west seeding.

The Warriors received 28 points from Demarcus Cousins which was a season high for the big-man. However, it was Kevin Durant who had the most electric night. The reigning finals MVP dropped 21 points but also had a pair of violent dunks that jump-started his team

Come for the slam.
Stay for the bench reaction. pic.twitter.com/G5FuqQObP8

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 3, 2019

Durant, who’s been fiery all season long, was later ejected after arguing with an official that Denver guard Paul Millsap fouled him on a three-point attempt. The Warriors forward went after official Zach Zarba, who threw Durant out of the game.

The dunks and the ejection helped ignite the Warriors and they ended up cruising to victory.

Warriors take control of west

For the majority of the season, Denver and Golden State had been flip-flopping for the top seed in the west. However, with only four games left in the regular season, it appears the Warriors will secure it.

https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1113301096028446720

Last season, the Warriors lost the one-seed to the Houston Rockets but eventually went on to win their third title in four seasons. This years rendition of Golden State is poised to make another deep title run, and clinching the one-seed will help their cause.

For Denver, it shows that they still need to take another step to compete with the top team in the west. Jamal Murray had a team-high 17 points in a night where the rest of the team struggled. Nikola Jokic only was able to manage 10 points while also turning the ball over six times. Millsap chipped in 11 points as well.

Looking ahead

At the moment, Golden State would host the San Antonio Spurs in the opening round of the playoffs. The two teams met in the opening round of the playoffs in 2018 as well with the Warriors winning 4-1.

On the flip-side, Denver would play host to Oklahoma City if the standings held steady for the rest of the season.