Kicks in the ankles. Forearms to the throat. Elbows at the head. Illegal screens. Hard shoves. Bloody lips. Puffy eyes. Body bruises. Some even done by “hit men.” Denver Nuggets coach George Karl thought the reaction to his team’s Game 5 win over the Warriors sounded like a “different movie than I’m watching.” Golden State’s Mark Jackson defended his accusations of dirty play Wednesday, and players on both sides practically promised more physicality. “I think it’s just getting started,” Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried said. Read More

In each game since Warriors forward David Lee was sidelined with a hip injury sustained in the team’s first playoff game, coach Mark Jackson has announced a lineup with the expected substitution: Carl Landry starting at power forward. But instead of Landry taking the court with the starters, it has been Jarrett Jack starting at point guard, with the rest of the starters shifting positions for the opening minutes of each contest. Read More

OAKLAND — Stephen Curry told television reporters before Sunday’s playoff game against the Denver Nuggets that the ankle he twisted in Game 2 of the series didn’t feel good at all. By the end of the third quarter of the Warriors’ 115-101 win, it must have been difficult for anyone watching to believe him. After attempting only three shots in the first half, the young guard scored 22 of his 31 points in the third quarter, powering a Warriors rally that quieted the Nuggets and helped give Golden State a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference first-round series. Read More

The Warriors came out of Denver with their first-round playoff series with the Nuggets tied 1-1, but not without paying a price. They recovered after losing All-Star forward David Lee for the remainder of the postseason with a torn hip flexor, but point guard Stephen Curry, burdened with carrying the offense in Lee’s absence, turned his ankle during the second half of the Warriors’ 131-117 win on Tuesday. Read More