On a night when the Splash Brothers had their long-awaited playoff reunion, the headlines from Saturday’s win ended up focusing on the Poole party taking place inside the Chase Center.
Warriors guard Jordan Poole poured in 30 points on 13 shots against the Nuggets en route to making franchise history in Golden State’s 123–107 Game 1 victory.
Poole’s stunning performance placed the 22-year-old in impressive company with a pair of Hall of Famers. He is now tied with Mitch Richmond for the second-most points scored by a Warriors player in a playoff debut, behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 35 points.
The 2019 first-round pick is also the 35th player in NBA history to score 30 or more points in a playoff debut. In addition, his five made threes on seven attempts secured him the Warriors record for most threes in a playoff debut.
With career-high averages of 18.5 points, four assists and 3.4 rebounds this season, Poole has transformed from a role player to a legitimate scoring threat alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The future Hall of Famers combined for 35 points in Golden State’s first postseason win since the 2018–19 season.
Poole will look to continue his hot shooting on Monday when the Dubs host the Nuggets for Game 2.
