SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jordan Poole shined in his long-awaited playoff debut scoring 30 points, staying in the starting lineup as Stephen Curry returned from a foot injury by coming off the bench initially, and the Golden State Warriors’ defense smothered Nikola Jokic to beat the Denver Nuggets 123-107 in the opener of their first-round playoff series.
Healthy at last, Klay Thompson returned to the playoff stage for the first time in nearly three years and scored 19 points with five 3-pointers.
Jokic had 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead Denver, facing stifling defense from Draymond Green and Kevon Looney while shooting 12 for 25.
