SAN FRANCISCO – Jordan Poole said he didn’t know what to expect heading into his first NBA playoff action. All he knew was it would be the biggest stage he’s ever played on. And he loves the big stage.
Poole didn’t shy away from the spotlight in his first postseason game. No, he ran right toward it.
Poole left his mark on the first-ever playoff game in Chase Center history Saturday night, scoring a game-high 30 points in a 123-107 Warriors win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Conference first round.
"Just trying to make the most of my opportunity when I'm out there," Poole said. "Just continue to be aggressive and play my game and help my teammates. Coaches tell me just to be me within the offense."
Instead of shrinking in the moment, Poole rose to the occasion. He couldn’t miss to start the game, as he went a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor en route to 17 first-half points. That early barrage included a pair of 3-pointers, but it was his 3-point play with about three minutes left that made you think, ‘Dang, dude really can’t miss right now.’
Chase Center was fired up. Steph Curry was fired up.
Poole flexed and let out a mighty yell, “And one!”
He arrived.
"He's demonstrated that he's ready for pretty much any moment," Curry said.
Midway through the third quarter, after knocking down one of his five 3-pointers on the evening, Poole couldn’t help but dance and have some fun with the Chase Center crowd. They’ve been invited to a Poole Party before but the playoffs added another notch of intensity.
"Jordan Poole, wow," Klay Thompson said. "What a playoff debut. All his hard work's paying off. If he doesn't get Most Improved (Player Award) this year, it doesn't make any sense. Without him, we would not be where we're at. Dub Nation, we should be very grateful for Jordan's development and the type of player he's become. He's just incredible. What a star in the making."
Back in 2018, Poole made a name for himself after hitting a buzzer-beater in the NCAA Tournament to send Michigan to the Sweet 16. Looks like those big game genes haven’t gone anywhere. Ditto for Poole’s recent hot streak, as he averaged 25.4 points over the final 20 contests of the regular season.
Poole’s big night coincided with a quiet evening from Curry in the box score. Playing in his first game since March 16, Steph didn’t even hoist a shot in his six first-quarter minutes. Curry finished with 16 points and four assists in 22 minutes.
The combo of Curry, Poole and Thompson helped sway the game at the end of the first half, though, as the Warriors closed out the second quarter on an 18-4 run in the final 4:23 with them on the floor.
"It's pretty lethal," Poole said of the three-guard lineup. "Being able to have a lot off-ball action with those guys and as soon as they get any daylight, just finding a way to get them the rock and be aggressive. Especially with those two guys, trying to get them as easy as shots as possible to get them going. If they get easy looks, open looks, they're cash."
Thompson said he loves the way having two playmakers on the floor opens things up for him on the perimeter.
"I play off Jordan very well," Thompson said. "He's so good on the ball screen, it allows me to play off the ball and fly off screens. Allows me to be that catch-and-shoot sniper that I always was. Jordan's like Steph with the ball in his hands, as far as his ability to shoot of the pick-and-roll. We have developed some great chemistry over this last month or two just playing ball."
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Thompson said Saturday's outburst from Poole is the result of three years of hard work. During his rookie season, Poole struggled mightily and shot just 33.3 percent from the floor and 27.9 percent from 3-point land. He didn't sulk, but instead shot his way out of it with thousands of practice reps.
"He always had the talent, he had the handling skills and he had the shot," Thompson said. "But his work ethic is what's going to propel him to stardom."
Poole is forcing Kerr into a tough decision in the near future. Poole started and Curry came off the bench Saturday, but will Kerr have the guts to bench Poole once Curry's minutes increase and he returns to the starting lineup?
"We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it," Kerr said.
Defensively, the Warriors were able to bottle up MVP front-runner Nikola Jokic, as he scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Overall, the Nuggets shot 46.2 percent from the field and never threatened in the second half.
"He's the MVP for a reason," Kerr said. "Brilliant player. But we did our best on him and we know he's coming back for Game 2 and it's gonna be a lot harder."
