NBA: Jordan Poole's jump is key to Warriors playoff run

After trailing by double digits early in the second quarter, the Golden State Warriors blew past the Denver Nuggets 126-106 to take a 2-0 series in the opening round. Jordan Poole continued on his hot streak with 29 points, eight assists and five rebounds as the Warriors went on a 26-8 run to end the first half. Golden State's 3-guard lineup with Poole joining Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins has been unstoppable in the first two games, outscoring the Nuggets 47-18 in just 11 minutes including an otherworldly 204.3 offensive rating and dominant 75.0 defensive rating. Obviously it's a small sample size but the Warriors put up 70 points in a 19-minute span as they ran away in Game 2.

Poole has been unguardable so far this series, dropping a combined 59 points on 19/29 shooting from the field and 10/17 from 3-point range in his first two playoff games. Curry finished with a game-high 34 points and four assists, while Thompson totaled 21 points. Golden State looks like a championship contender once again and a real threat to the top seeded Phoenix Suns and Poole is a big reason why they have a shot to win it all. The former Michigan guard has always a tough shot maker with deep range and good isolation skills but it's clear how much he has invested into tightening his handle and improving his decision making. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night as the Warriors attempt to take a 3-0 lead.

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Photo Credit: The Sports Rush.