Golden State 95, Denver 97
Nuggets 97, Warriors 95: Andre Miller drove for a layup with 1.3 seconds left to lift Denver over visiting Golden State in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.
Miller scored 18 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and got the ball on a clear out on the right wing for the final play. The veteran guard dribbled the clock down before breaking for the hoop and flipped in the layup to hand the Nuggets the win.
Wilson Chandler added 11 points and 13 rebounds and Ty Lawson scored 12 for Denver. Klay Thompson had 22 points and Stephen Curry collected 19 points and nine assists to lead the Warriors, who have not won a playoff game since 2007.
Lawson stole the ball from Curry and drove for a layup with 35.7 seconds left to give the Nuggets a three-point lead. Curry made up for the mistake by knocking down a 3-pointer from the left corner to knot it at 95 with 14.5 seconds to play.
Golden State was leading 62-58 with 3:47 left in the third before Denver ended the quarter with a 14-2 burst. Corey Brewer scored seven points during the run, including a 3-pointer with two seconds left that sent the Nuggets into the final period with a 71-64 edge.
The Warriors fought back in the fourth, knotting it up a 81 on Curry’s fastbreak layup with 7:13 to play. They had a chance to take the lead after Andrew Bogut blocked a shot at the other end, but Miller stole a pass from Bogut and converted a three-point play at the other end to spark an 8-0 run.
Both teams shot under 40 percent in the first half but Golden State leaned on Thompson for 15 points before the break and ended up taking a 48-44 lead into the locker room. Curry struggled to 1-of-10 from the field in the half but handed out eight assists, including five in the second quarter as the Warriors pulled ahead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Golden State F David Lee suffered a probable right hip flexor strain and left the game in the fourth quarter for x-rays. He recorded 10 points and 14 rebounds in 29 minutes. … Nuggets F Kenneth Faried (ankle) did not play. … Bogut added nine points, 14 rebounds and four blocks and Jarrett Jack collected 10 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists off the bench for Golden State. … Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday in Denver.
