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NBA: Jordan Poole leads way in Warriors' rout of Nuggets

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Draymond Green (23) of the Golden State Warriors high fives Jordan Poole (3) against the Denver Nuggets during Round 1 Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs on APRIL 16, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Noah Graham, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/04/17/gsw.jpg"/><figcaption>Draymond Green (23) of the Golden State Warriors high fives Jordan Poole (3) against the Denver Nuggets during Round 1 Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs on APRIL 16, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Noah Graham, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP</figcaption></figure></div>SAN FRANCISCO -- (UPDATED) Golden State&#x27;s Stephen Curry made a triumphant return from a left foot sprain on Saturday as the Warriors, led by Jordan Poole&#x27;s 30 points, routed Denver 123-107 in an NBA playoff opener.All-Star guard Curry, sidelined since March 16 with the injury, had 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the floor (3-of-6 from 3-point range) with three rebounds, four assists and a steal over 22 minutes off the bench as the host Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.&quot;Everything was smooth for the most part,&quot; Curry said. &quot;It was nice to get back out there, to feel the playoff vibe again. It was nice to just be out there with my guys. It was a step in the right direction.&quot;Curry said he had no expectations about when he might start again.&quot;I can hopefully provide a lot of energy off the bench,&quot; Curry said. &quot;We have to keep things simple, be decisive, have confidence in each other. JP is a part of that now.&quot;Poole hit 9-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-7 from 3-point range in his playoff debut.&quot;It was good to get the first one under the belt,&quot; said Poole. &quot;Just taking what they gave me, being patient and trying to be as aggressive as possible.&quot;Klay Thompson added 19 points and praised Poole, saying: &quot;He&#x27;s incredible, a star in the making. He&#x27;s just going to keep getting better.&quot;Other NBA playoff openers Saturday saw the Utah Jazz outlast Dallas 99-93, Philadelphia defeat Toronto 131-111 and Minnesota upset Memphis 130-117.Curry started 0-for-5, got his first basket on a goaltending call off a drive to the hoop and played 12 minutes in the first half.&quot;I like the way he approached the game,&quot; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &quot;He found his rhythm as the game went on. It was a really good first game back for him and will set the table for what&#x27;s to come.&quot;Having Curry back was a thrill for Thompson, who missed more than two full seasons with injuries before returning to Golden State in January.&quot;He&#x27;s still Steph Curry and he still made huge shots for us,&quot; Thompson said. &quot;The threat of him being out there is the best. It makes us a championship team.&quot;The Warriors closed the first half on an 18-4 run for a 58-47 edge and pulled away in the third quarter.&quot;The key stretch was the end of the second quarter,&quot; Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. &quot;We can&#x27;t beat ourselves and the Warriors in the same game.&quot;Serbian big man Nikola Jokic, last year&#x27;s NBA Most Valuable Player, led Denver with 25 points.<div>© Agence France-Presse</div>

The Golden State Warriors crushed the Denver Nuggets, 123-107, in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series. 