Nuggets road win against Spurs Game 4
SAN ANTONIO – Nuggets wing Torrey Craig doesn’t remember the last time he was nervous before a game.
Saturday, despite a rowdy road environment and the pressure of potentially facing a 3-1 deficit to the San Antonio Spurs, was no exception.
In his first-ever playoff start, Craig made a massive difference as the Nuggets went on the road and stole homecourt advantage to send the series back to Denver tied 2-2. Craig, who started in place of Will Barton, was the chess piece Nuggets coach Michael Malone tabbed to shadow Spurs star DeMar DeRozan. That matchup allowed Gary Harris to pester Game 3 star Derrick White.
“Our two best perimeter defenders on their two best perimeter players,” Malone said.
More than once Craig picked DeRozan up well beyond halfcourt, hounding and bodying him like the Spurs had done to the Nuggets in Game 3. Late in the fourth quarter, Craig had slipped past DeRozan, snatched the ball and forced a foul directly in front of the Nuggets’ bench. On San Antonio’s next possession, DeRozan bolted down the lane and into the body of Harris, who drew an offensive foul. In a fit of rage, DeRozan turned and whipped the ball toward an official and was immediately ejected.
Craig, a G League player last season, gets partial credit for the relentless harassment.
“I just tried to stay disciplined, make every shot tough and make him feel me the whole night,” Craig said. “I think I did a pretty good job of that.”
What Malone admittedly didn’t envision, though, was that aside from the dogged defense, Craig would be a boon on the offensive end as well. Craig scored 18 points and sunk five 3-pointers as part of Denver’s long-range assault. Two of his 3-pointers came in the decisive third quarter. Another one squashed a Spurs mini-run.
“I’d be lying if I said I knew Torrey Craig was going to go out and get 18 and hit five threes,” Malone said. “But his defense, his rebounding, his shot making and Malik (Beasley) was still fantastic off the bench.”
Malone’s tinkering worked. Craig was invaluable, Beasley was effective off the bench, and Barton drained three 3-pointers in a reserve role.
