One can't help but feel the difficulty the Warriors face this year in breaking through the West, a world of difference from last year.

Anthony, with jelly-like legs, shot 5-for-22 in this game, scoring a total of 17 points, with 5 rebounds and 2 assists when including free throws.

Off the court, is Qin Yue's good brother.

On the court, Anthony frequently assisted Qin Yue, helping him achieve prehistoric stats of 28 points, 27 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 blocks, and 1 steal in the opening game of this year's playoffs.

The Nuggets, without Anthony as a source of offense, relied desperately on Billups, Smith and others to support them.

As a point guard who always plays with calculation on the court...

Though Billups couldn't stop the incredibly fierce Baron Davis, through a simple math problem, Billups managed to indirectly neutralize Davis's impact on the game.

In the game, Billups shot 5-for-14, made all 8 of his free throws, scoring only three-pointers, totaling 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists for the Nuggets.

While the superb Mr. Big Beard shot 10-for-18, including 1-for-2 from three, and 3 out of 4 free throws, totaling 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists for the Warriors.

Throughout his career, Billups, with an overall shooting percentage of only 41.5%, achieved a true shooting percentage as high as 58%.

Even though on the court he often gives off the impression of "missing most shots"... by optimizing his shooting structure, relying more on free throws and threes for scores, Billups often can hold his own against those scoring-superb superstar guards.

However, on this night, Billups couldn't save the poorly performing Anthony.

Final score, 98 to 118.

The Warriors took the lead at home, leading the series 1-0 against the Nuggets.

After the game, amidst the golden tide that had begun rolling at Oracle Arena, while shaking hands with Qin Yue, Carl, who was reluctant to let go, firmly grasped Qin Yue's large hands and said, "Very good, very good... truly worthy of being the new model of good conduct in the league."

Qin Yue believed that at that moment, Carl, who always liked to be sarcastic, couldn't possibly be praising him.

But he still brazenly said, "Really? Actually, I've always thought I am the role model for all young players in the league."

"..."

After the first game ended, George Karl nearly smashed the Warriors' visiting locker room to pieces out of fury.

And Carmelo Anthony...

Was "locked" in the hotel where the team was staying by Carl through a death order.

"Such a damn fool! When can't he relax, when can't he have fun? But it's the damn playoffs! Does he even know how crucial he is to the team?"

To prevent Qin Yue from continuing to use dirty tricks against the Nuggets, over the next two days, Carl almost went mad, adopting full-time monitoring mode on Anthony.

Two days later.

The second game of the Nuggets against the Warriors' first-round playoff series continued at Oracle Arena.

The irascible Carl assigned different three-point shooting targets to the Nuggets' shooters before the game.

"If you don't want to be drowned in my spit after the game, then shoot those damn threes at the Warriors' rim like a man!"

Unlike many old-school coaches.

Carl, who always believes that if he thinks it's right, it's right, had long since discovered the positive impact of three-point shots on games from the Warriors' championship journey last season.

Carl was very clear, to beat these Warriors...

The Nuggets must make a play on the Warriors' relatively weak perimeter defense and use an explosive three-point shooting strategy to match the Warriors' offensive firepower.

Moreover, Carl, the head coach, has one distinct characteristic.

Once he believes that his decision is correct, he often doubles down.

This game, according to George Karl's pre-game targets, the Nuggets needed to attempt at least forty three-point shots by current times' standards.

In the first quarter, even the Warriors player with the highest average three-point attempts in regular-season felt the Nuggets had gone crazy.

"Are they so eager for Messiah to put up another 'double 20' (points + rebounds) performance?"

Watching the court where Qin Yue already grabbed 10 rebounds by the end of the first quarter, Artest was puzzled and thought to himself.

For the Nuggets, it was undoubtedly a failed attempt.

Although due to Davis and Richardson being more inclined towards offense, causing the Warriors to prefer prioritizing zone defense to protect the paint in games...

But to penetrate the Warriors' defense, the Nuggets also had to have enough accuracy.

Thus, 91 to 121.

The Nuggets, with an even more painful loss in the second game, declared their experiment a failure, and the fact that they would head back to Denver Plateau with a 0-2 series deficit.

In the second game, Anthony still did not perform well, shooting 7 for 20 throughout, obtaining 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists primarily through free throws.

Affected by playing only the first three quarters, Qin Yue collected a total of 25 points, 20 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal in this game.

The continuous victories in the first round of the playoffs made Warriors players start to believe that Mike Malone had clearly overestimated the intensity of this year's playoffs.

To the extent that before making the short trip to Denver, even Artest, who effortlessly limited Anthony to a "bricklayer" in the game, complained, "When I think about how we might have to wait nearly ten days to face the next round's opponent, honestly, I really don't want to give 'Melo' this cutie a broom."

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