Denver Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried Set to Play in Game 2
By Josh Hill
The Denver Nuggets won a thriller in Game 1 of their series against the Golden State Warriors thanks to the heroics of Andre Miller. But one name that was missing from the court on Saturday was star forward Kenneth Faried. Denver was without Faried on Saturday due to an ankle that the forward sprained back on April 14th. But after sitting out Game 1, Faried is ready to return and plans on playing Tuesday night.
According to Faried, he could have played on Saturday night but opted not to in order be ensure he’s healthy for the majority of the playoffs.
“I could’ve played, but they wanted me to sit out no matter what, no matter how anxious or how exciting or how interesting the game was,” he said, via NBA.com. “They wanted me to just sit out and rest and be ready that much more for Tuesday.”
Faried’s presence inside the paint was sorely missed by the Nuggets this weekend, as Denver was out-rebounded by Golden State 55-45, which is something that almost cost them the game had it not been for Andre Miller going retro with his game-winning jumper.
“That can’t be happening,” Faried said. “It’s playoff basketball and that’s one of the biggest keys. You need to secure rebounds and lock the ball down and make sure we can start our break and have that fun and flair that the Nuggets play.”
Faried had a breakthrough season in 2013, participating in the Slam Dunk contest but just missed being named to the All-Star team. Many around the NBA believe that Faried’s best days are still ahead of him, but that’s not stopping him from having a chip on his shoulder that is motivating him to comeback and show off his skills with the Nuggets on the highest stage of his career.