NBA teams
J.A. Adande, ESPN Senior Writer 8y

Second-chance points key to Warriors' historic start

NBA, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets

DENVER -- With the Golden State Warriors visiting the Denver Nuggets on Sunday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), the obvious statistical storyline resides beyond the arc. The Warriors are the best 3-point shooting team in the NBA, and the Nuggets are the second-worst at defending the 3. Nevertheless, what could the tell-tale number be in Sunday night's showdown?

Offensive rebounds.

The Warriors aren't in the top 10 in offensive rebounds or second-chance points. But they they are a top-10 team when it comes to scoring after offensive boards. Golden State get 1.3 points per offensive rebound, a number that surpasses its league-leading average of 1.14 points per possession. For most teams, offensive rebounds mean a chance at easy tip-ins or put-backs. But for the Warriors, second chances usually lead to wide-open 3-pointers for Stephen Curry, which is the most dangerous shot in the league right now.

Rebounds are the one time Curry doesn't have the defense's full attention, as the focus turns to securing the ball. If the Warriors can get to it first, they can catch opponents scrambling ... and then Curry sneaks in to put them to sleep.

Derrick Rose, whose Chicago Bulls were the last visiting team to win a regular-season game at Oracle Arena, says one of the keys to beating the Warriors is "making them pay for some of the shots that they take." Ideally, that means converting the long rebounds off missed 3-pointers into transition baskets. At minimum, it requires securing the rebound so the Warriors don't get an even better 3-point look.

The pivotal point of Golden State's victory over the Bulls on Friday night that ran the Warriors' record to 14-0 was an offensive rebound.

With 5 ½ minutes remaining and the score tied, Chicago's defense did its job: Pau Gasol and Kirk Hinrich both contested a Curry 3-pointer from the right wing, and it missed. The ball caromed out toward the top of the key; Jimmy Butler thought he could collect the rebound and start a fast break, but Klay Thompson knocked the ball away, going to the ground before Tony Snell could grab it.

Curry had retreated to play defense, but when he saw Thompson had possession, he rushed back into the frontcourt. From his knees, Thompson passed to Curry, who knocked down a wide-open 3 to give the Warriors the lead.

That same night, the Nuggets allowed the Phoenix Suns to score 21 points off 10 offensive rebounds. Overall, Phoenix made 15 of 27 from long range.

"Our inability to cover the 3-point line is a joke," Nuggets coach Mike Malone told reporters after the 114-107 loss.

You won't hear laughter coming from the Nuggets' coaches room if they give up second-chance 3s to the Warriors on Sunday night.

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