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How do you contain a scoring threat like Stephen Curry? If you're the Denver Nuggets, maybe you impede him a little bit -- after all, Curry's not exactly the largest guy on the court. Good physical play is an effective part of many game plans, but Warriors coach Mark Jackson thinks the Nuggets were going a little too far, claiming that they targeted Curry's left ankle, which he sprained in Game 2. Whatever the Nuggets did, it worked -- they've given themselves new life in this closely fought series.

• DoylePhil: "Mark Jackson is simply protecting his best player. It's tough not to respect that. Steph Curry is your guy, go ahead and stand up for him."
• johnnytsunami212: "obviously he's just trying to get the calls next game and get his team pumped by playing the "everyone's against us" card. he doesn't believe any of this nonsense, he's just being a smart coach"
• erock1987: "Physical yes...dirty no...it's the playoffs. The nuggets finally showed they wanted to win a game. Players no a days are soo weak that a little shove or some "extra" contact is considered dirty. Nuggets made a statement. They weren't just going to roll over and let curry bury them again."
• duke_blue123: "Golden State has been the physically dominant team through the first 4 games. Denver finally retaliates with more physical play and they are accused of being dirty? If anything was dirty it was that cheap shot to the throat from Bogut to Faried."
• McDirty21: "Denver players are classless. All of them were playing dirty the whole night. I agree with Jackson."
• Cappiethedog: "I watched the game. I'm rooting for Golden State. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary."

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Which team will win the Nuggets-Warriors first-round playoff series? (Warriors lead 3-2)

•  
  54%
  Warriors in 6
•  
  22%
  Warriors in 7
•  
  24%
  Nuggets in 7

(Total votes: 80,846)

If it weren't for the small matter of the Warriors losing to the Knicks, Stephen Curry would have had a perfect night. As it is, he'll have to be content with a 54-point performance that saw his normally deadly 3-point shot become nearly infallible. Curry is averaging 21.9 points per game to go along with 6.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds -- is he among the NBA's superstars at this point in his career?

• jlewi1997: "Okay folks lets not act like Curry hasn't been balling forever. It was coming sooner or later. He wasn't just snubbed for an all-star selection. He was robbed."
• spitfire18213: "I don't care who you are 54 on 11-13 from 3 is just plain lights out son. Very impressive."
• troy_green1: "As a Warrior fan this was the toughest loss of the season. NY just had too much size and made less mistakes down the stretch. Great show by Curry! Just wish the team could have cemented his performance with a win."
• Its_All_About_Sports: "anyone that has played basketball knows that there are just some days where you cant miss. you have no idea how you are making everything, you just throw it up and it goes in. curry said, 'sometimes i couldn't even see the rim' paraphrasing of course, but still congrats on a great game curry"
• Jake-Macauley: "Crazy to think Curry could have been suspended for this game. Good (non) move NBA."
• No.37: "curry had a great game. but he has difficulty at the end of games getting his shot off/creating his own shot. its kind of embarrassing when raymond felton d's you up and then blocks your shot. steph is a great shooter, but needs to work on the rest of his game before people start calling him a great player."

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It's been a good year for the Golden State Warriors, so why not celebrate with a new look? The team unveiled an alternate yellow jersey with one notable extra feature: it's got sleeves. Does the revamped look work for you?

• Los Angeles Avengers: "They don't look bad but they would look better without the sleeves."
• PlayaMade5: "I thought the whole Idea was stupid. But they actually don't look that bad."
• VStevens82: "Dope!!! (Everyone wears sleeves normally in pick up games all around the world..not sure why all the hate)."
• Tophlekein93: "Why? What is the point of a short sleeve jersey? Seems like a waste of money, and resources. I mean, it's not fashionable, not practical, and likely less comfortable. So what could possibly be the reason for something as silly as short sleeved jerseys?"
• King_Gars: "To all the fans who hate the look,, You must be the same fans who didn't like the NBA going to longer shorts too. Maybe we can all go back to short shorts and small tank tops like in the 80's and 70's."
• FullSerenity: "I hate wearing sleeves when ballin', especially when they get drenched with sweat, too sticky, you end up pulling the shooting sleeve up past your shoulder anyway. I don't know what I would have said if my college had switched out our jerseys for ones with sleeves. I try to avoid sleeves in pick up games if I can. "

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Hitting a 3-pointer is among one of the more difficult tasks in sports, but the Rockets didn't seem to have any trouble doing so in their 140-109 win over the Warriors on Tuesday. They tied the NBA record for a game with 23 and probably would have broken it had the Warriors not intentionally fouled their shooters several times near the end of the game. Were the Warriors playing fairly?

• Vega_2012: "Don't want 3s made on you? Play some defense then"
• airsuzuki: "When you rookie guard dunks the ball, celebrates, and taunts the opposing bench when up by 30 with a minute left in the game, it becomes personal."
• bobbydagreat: "Committing flagrant fouls because your team doesn't know how to play defense is pretty terrible sportsmanship."
• boomsoon155: "I lost a ton of respect for Mark Jackson. That is absolutely embarrassing to do that at the end of the game."
• JariusHawkinss: "I can see camping out on the 3-point line, but the fouling was unnecessary. It was like saying 'We have no chance at all to stop you.' They should have been embarrassed."
• The Seventh Seal: "It is classless to run up the score not to get scored on."

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Flip Saunders joined SportsCenter this morning to discuss whether some teams in the middle of the Eastern and Western Conference playoff standings were contenders or pretenders. Now it's your turn to weigh in. Where do you think the Bulls, Nets, Pacers, Grizzlies and Warriors stand in relation to the elite teams at the top of the standings? Are any of them a real threat to go deep in the playoffs or even win the title?

The Lakers' season-long struggles have made headlines. But look beyond the plot twists and turns of the "Showtime" soap opera and you'll see the West has produced some surprising success stories. The Clippers were expected to be improved, but 12 straight wins and the division lead have fans giddy in Lob City. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are showing that perhaps last season's playoff success was no fluke. The Warriors have been boosted by the emergence of young stars. And the Timberwolves have stayed in the race despite early injuries. Which team will be left standing when the dust settles?

Where will the Clippers' season end?

•  
  15%
  Western Conference playoffs
•  
  39%
  Western Conference second round
•  
  36%
  Western Conference finals
•  
  10%
  NBA Finals

(Total votes: 5,032)

Where will the Grizzlies' season end?

•  
  28%
  Western Conference playoffs
•  
  44%
  Western Conference second round
•  
  21%
  Western Conference finals
•  
  7%
  NBA Finals

(Total votes: 4,882)

Where will the Warriors' season end?

•  
  24%
  Won't make playoffs
•  
  53%
  Western Conference playoffs
•  
  15%
  Western Conference second round
•  
  4%
  Western Conference finals
•  
  4%
  NBA Finals

(Total votes: 5,236)

Where will the TImberwolves' season end?

•  
  40%
  Won't make playoffs
•  
  42%
  Western Conference playoffs
•  
  11%
  Western Conference second round
•  
  2%
  Western Conference finals
•  
  5%
  NBA Finals

(Total votes: 1,863)

You have to go back to 1991-92 to find a Warriors team that came out to play like this year's squad at the start of an NBA season. Golden State's two-point win at Miami was its fifth straight victory -- and all have come on the road. Klay Thompson has emerged as a scorer, Stephen Curry is healthy and David Lee has five consecutive 20-point, 10-rebound games. But the Warriors' biggest advantage might be their ability to make key plays late, as ESPN Stats & Information explains. Is Golden State riding a hot streak that's bound to level out, or is this a team to be reckoned with in the West?

• mrink1074a: "I'm a Bulls fan, but the Warriors are a fun team to watch. It's like watching an updated version of Run TMC."
• lutch57: "A lot of talent on the Warriors. They move the ball and play team Defense like the Spurs. And if Bogut ever gets healthy they'll have a top 5 center as well."
• neighbordave22: "miami DID play their A game last night and still lost on their home court, because the warriors are THAT good."
• Sasa Jelisavac: "Way to go Warriors.... Lee really showing what a quality player he is, and my only question here will be: Are Lakers watching this?"
• BayAreaSportsFan16: "This was a huge win for the warriors. As impressive as starting a road trip 4-0 was I think there were still some doubters since it was against 3 bad teams (detroit, washington, charlotte) and 1 winning team that's starting to slide (New Jersey). But now that they've beaten the World Champs in their own house I think we can say the Warriors are now a legitimate quality team."

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According to sources, quarterback Alex Smith has agreed to a three-year deal with the 49ers. Will Smith have a repeat performance of his 2011 campaign this season?

• R0bDC: "I dont care what anyone says, Im happy Smith is back!!! YEa Go Niners!!!"
• cgun1: "This was never in doubt. Hats off to Baalke (again) for a great job. A13-3 team is coming back with 2 new receivers, and loads of cap room to get O-line help. Bring it on."
• sac33486: "We all saw what Alex Smith did with Vernon Davis in the playoffs. Now he has two more deep threats. Get your popcorn ready!"
• mrm87: "Alex returns to San Fran knowing that he was the alternate option. That's got to be a confidence killer."
• steve_437: "With or without Smith the 49ers will come crashing back to reality next season. They played above their talent level and luck only lasts so long in this league. They are an 8-8 team at best."
• QB Sack Lunch: "Like any of this mattered. 49ers Defense is what made them good last year. Alex Smith was just along for the ride."



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The Warriors tried to honor Chris Mullin by retiring his number, but for Golden State fans, it was a chance to express their displeasure at co-owner Joe Lacob. Were they out of line?

• dreballs: "wow i cant believe W's fans did that.... I know we're frustrated but the man has owned the team for less than half a year"
• Cut Throatish: "Classless, I was ashamed to be in the crowd tonight."
• Chip_Douglas07 "My biggest prob about this is that it disrespected chris mullins big night. I know it wasnt directed at him but it marred and ruined his night."
• DirkMonsoon: "If I pay $3,000 a season for tickets the owner better be trying to win every single game."
• KardMarc515: "complete overreaction by everyone calling their fans classless. Paying customers have a right to voice their opinion in any situation."
• maleckej: "The owner got boo'ed for trading a fan favorite. Oh yeah he didn't know he was a fan favorite too."



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We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)

Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)

Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)

Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)