2012/2013 NBA Playoffs First Round: Game 6
Denver Nuggets (1982 - 1993)

vs

2-3 (0-2 on road)
3-2 GS
3-2 (2-0 at home)
April 30th, 2013 – 8:30 PM (MT)
Oracle Arena – Oakland, CA
ALTITUDE / TNT / 950 AM / 104.3 FM The Fan
Probable Starters
Ty Lawson PG Jarrett Jack
Andre Iguodala SG Stephen Curry
Wilson Chandler SF Klay Thompson
Kenneth Faried PF Harrison Barnes
JaVale McGee C Andrew Bogut
Notes
Denver Stiffs Blogs Golden State of Mind
Danilo Gallinari is out, Timofey Mozgov is day to day Injuries David Lee and Brandon Rush are both out
The Nuggets have won Game 6 twice in nine tries when down 3-2 – last year vs. the Lakers and in 1994 against the Utah Jazz with that awesome team… Stat The last Game 6 the Warriors have lost at home was back on April 5th, 1969 …

How are you feeling out there Stiffs Nation? We’ve come a long way together. Again, here we sit with our team down 3-2 in the playoffs. This will be the most difficult game of the season, to date, for the Nuggets. We all know it. Guess what? It’s also the most difficult game for just about every single member of the Golden State Warriors.

This is Stephen Curry’s first taste of the playoffs. Same goes for Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Festus Ezeli, and as a coach for Mark Jackson. But they are a confident bunch … so are the Golden State fans. Don’t believe me? Check out their preview on our frienemy’s site: GSOM.

The Nuggets have plenty of guys who have played in big games in the post-season. Every single player that will appear in the rotation tonight has played in these games before. George Karl has coached in every kind of game imaginable. Does this mean anything? We will find out.

As fans, we are left to root for the team from afar and do the little things that for some reason we believe may make a difference in the game this evening.

I spent over two hours at the gym today jacking up shots. I have my own superstitions and I played them out at the gym – I'll keep them to myself, but my routine was solid. I may be losing my mind, but I'm having a blast. We are hosting STIFFS NIGHT OUT tonight at Jake's Food and Spirits at 38th and Walnut and the 100" screen and various flatscreens will be showing the game. It'll be awesome having the local Stiffs together to bring some of that good Karma. The last SNO was on March 19th and we broke the curse of the Nuggets losing on my birthday on a back-to-back in Oklahoma City!

We all want to know what Karl is going to do to put his players in the best position to win. How long will he play small? Will JaVale McGee start again? Can the Nuggets overcome the Oracle crowd and the hot shooting Warriors? Will Curry have a bounce back game? What about Klay Thompson? Will Andrew Bogut try to eat somebody’s ear? Will Draymond Green channel his two spring football game plays (one false start and one pass sailed over his head) and try to tackle Ty Lawson or Andre Miller?

For all the theatrics that have taken place since Game 5 ended … I just want to see a good basketball game. I hope the referees let the teams play and call a fair game both ways. Let the best team win and we'll either have a Game 7 or we'll wish the Warriors luck in the next round.

I feel good about this game. Karl was relaxed and joking around before he went back to watch more film with the team yesterday – but he was also focused. The vibe of the players was hard to tell … only Kenneth Faried talked with the media (mainly for his citizenship award) and the other guys trickled out and were grabbed by individual media members or were left to exit to catch their planes without being bothered by the likes of people like me.

I trust the experience, chemistry, and toughness of this team. Like I wanted to see in Game 5, play Nuggets basketball for 48 minutes and we'll see what happens.

I’ll see some of you at Jake’s and to the rest of you … I know you’ll be there with us in spirit!

I just love this … it always makes me want to run through a brick wall and then go do dumbbell bench press until my eyes bleed.

Nate_Timmons on Twitter
[email protected]