Steph Curry can’t shoot over him.
Andrew Wiggins couldn’t jump over him.
Without Austin Rivers, the Nuggets get swept.
Without Rivers, the anti-Nikola-Jokic cabal over at ESPN, Fox and Turner Sports is teeing the Joker up Monday for another round of talking-head abuse.
Without Rivers, the Nuggets are packing for the beach instead of San Francisco for Game 5.
“We could’ve let go of the rope a couple times,” Rivers said after his pass deflection in Game 4 of the Denver-Golden State playoff series sealed a 126-121 Nuggets victory. “We just kept fighting.
“Our physicality has been at the highest it’s been in this series. Our attention to detail, our switching, our communication — I don’t think it’s a coincidence that led to us getting our first victory.”
It wasn’t. Nor was this: Take out Jordan Poole’s 5-for-6 stat line, and the rest of the Warriors roster, according to NBA.com tracking data, is shooting 5 for 21 (23.8%) from the floor in this series while guarded by Rivers.
The Nuggets have chucked the kitchen sink at Curry these last four games, but only one thing — one guy — has managed to truly stick. Against the Denver defenders who’ve chased No. 30 for more than 2 minutes during this series, and who aren’t Austin Rivers, NBA.com says, the future Hall-of-Famer is draining 56.3% (40 for 71) of his shots. With Rivers on him? That clip drops to 20% (2 for 10).
“Relentless,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone called it.
Relentless. Essential. If the Nuggets are going to somehow get this thing back to Denver for Game 6 — like Malone said, don’t laugh — then the key just might be more minutes for Rivers and a little less for the law firm of Green (Uncle Jeff), Green (JaMychal) & Barton (Will).
“We’re still down 3-1, but the pressure for us is nothing,” said Rivers, who racked up a game-high five steals in Game 4 to go along with three points and three assists in 36 minutes off the bench. “(The Warriors) still have to close us out.”
With a cadre of Denver Broncos in attendance at Ball Arena, the veteran guard closed out his best defensive performance in a Nuggets uniform by doing his best impression of cornerback Pat Surtain II.
As the hosts nursed a 123-121 lead with 33 seconds left, the Warriors had the ball and went right at Rivers for the kill-shot. The problem? Rivers knew exactly what was coming.
At the end of the preceding timeout, NBA MVP Nikola Jokic screamed “It’s a lob!” from the bench, making an over-the-top gesture, an arch in the air, to underscore his point.
Rivers got the message. Sure enough, a high rainbow came via Golden State in-bounder Otto Porter Jr., designed to go over Rivers and into the arms of a leaping Andrew Wiggins and his 44-inch vertical.
Instead, Rivers released his inner cornerback. The Nuggets guard made a point to stay between Wiggins and the ball, timing his jump to match that of the Warriors’ taller target. He then stepped in front of the pass, batting it away from Wiggins and into the mitts of teammate Aaron Gordon.
“When I saw Wiggins setting that screen, I knew exactly where he was going,” Rivers explained later. “I’ve seen them run that play a couple times — they’d actually gotten us on that one time earlier this season. As soon as I saw him do that, I knew they were going to try to throw it to him.
“There was a lot of communication (Sunday). Guys were telling me and allowing me to do what I do best out there.”
To paraphrase one of Malone’s favorite maxims, Rivers is one of those guys opponents feel, whether the shot’s falling or not. He’s a coach’s son and an extension of Malone on the floor, more about guts and glue than glory.
And perhaps nobody epitomizes the try-hard, Murray-less, MPJ-less Nuggets right now more than the 6-foot-4 Rivers, a grinder who turns 30 in August and is nearing the end of a one-year contract here.
Given Gordon’s mercurial performances, Malone and his staff still need more wing defenders, Torrey Craig types, to keep elite perimeter teams halfway honest. To his credit, Rivers has transformed into a reasonable — if smallish — 3-and-D option in a pinch, even if the “3” side of that equation comes and goes.
He’s also been Curry’s kryptonite as of late. Over No. 30’s last 33 minutes when matched up with Rivers, via NBA.com tracking data, the greatest long-range shooter in league history has hit just 8 of 26 shots, and only 2 of 14 from beyond the 3-point line, while turning it over six times.
“To beat (the Warriors) or to compete versus them, you have to bring that energy, otherwise they’ll walk all over you,” Rivers observed. “And if they smell fear … then you have no chance against a team like that.”
Rivers fears nothing. And, more importantly, no one. As rough as this series has been to watch, you shudder to think what it could’ve looked like without him.
