On April 19, Beijing time, the first round of the NBA playoffs G2, the Warriors defeated the Nuggets 126-106 at home, and led 2-0 in the series. Stephen Curry is still a substitute for this campaign, he played 23 minutes, 12 of 17 shooting, 5 of 10 three-pointers, 32 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, plus or minus as high as +32. Jordan Poole still started the game, playing 34 minutes, shooting 10 of 16 from the field, 5-of-10 from three-point range, and scoring 29 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.
In the regular season, Poole and Curry ranked first and second in the league in free throw shooting. Interestingly, Curry performed four technical free throws in this campaign, but only hit 50% of the shots, only hitting 2 goals. In addition to the topic of who starts and who is substituted, there is also the topic of who performs technical penalties around Curry and Poole. For this question, Warriors coach Steve Kerr did not give a direct answer, but "threw the pot" to say: "Curry and Poole have to discuss this problem themselves, I will not make a decision on this."
TNT reporters dug a hole for Poole after the game, and he asked the Poole Warriors if they needed to change their tactical arrangements, and let Poole or Curry go when performing technical penalties, knowing that Curry had lost two technical free throws in this campaign. Poole smiled at this, thought about it for a while, and then responded to the reporter with "no comment" wit, and then the two grinned.
Interestingly, Curry was also asked by reporters in an interview after the game about who performed the technical free throws, but Curry gave a domineering response. Asked when Poole would replace Curry in performing technical free throws, Curry quipped that it would never happen and repeated it twice. "Even if I could have conceded 10 consecutive free throws, you'd still see me on the free throw line," Curry said, "I like this healthy and friendly competitive atmosphere, obviously I know he beat me in the regular season [in terms of free throw percentage], and he sets a very high standard for this free throw competition." But to pull me off the free throw line doesn't just require a regular season free throw king."
Obviously, even at the beginning of the playoffs, Poole's performance in these two games was amazing enough, and he even hit 10 three-pointers in these two games, which is the player who hit the most three-pointers in the first two playoff games in NBA history, and the first player to achieve so. However, in the face of the question of who will execute the technical penalty, Cole "throws the pot", Poole chooses not to respond, and Curry domineeringly ends the topic, don't look at him now to make sacrifices willing to play as a substitute, don't forget the strong threat he brings to the opponent on the field.