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If the Golden State Warriors are going to make a triumphant return to the NBA Finals after missing the playoffs for the last two seasons, they're first going to have to go through reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The Warriors earned the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference after an up-and-down regular season, while the Nuggets enter as the No. 6 seed despite season-long injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

The series kicks off on Saturday, and all eyes will be on superstar Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who missed the final 12 games of the regular season due to a foot injury. He's expected to take the floor in Saturday's Game 1, but will be on a minutes limit in his first action in nearly a month. In the first-ever playoff game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Curry will attempt to rekindle the magic that he, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have displayed for so many years.

On the other side, Jokic has put up monster numbers all season, but particularly against the Warriors. He'll look to continue his dominance and build off of the 3-1 record that Denver had against Golden State this season.

Here is how to watch Game 1, along with odds, storylines and a prediction.

(3) Golden State Warriors vs. (6) Denver Nuggets

  • Date: Saturday, April 15 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Chase Center -- San Francisco, California
  • TV: ABC | Live stream: ESPN
  • Odds: GSW: -245 | DEN +205 | O/U: 223.5 (Caesars Sportsbook)

Storylines

Warriors: First thing's first -- the Warriors need to make sure Curry is healthy. The Golden State organization, and the entire Bay Area, will be holding their breath throughout the game, watching for any noticeable limping or discomfort. Curry himself admitted that he's not yet 100 percent, so it will be crucial to the outcome of the game if he's hindered in any way. It will also be interesting to see how the Warriors look like a unit since most of their starters and finishers haven't played together much -- if at all -- over the past couple of seasons.

Nuggets: The second-ranked Warriors defense will surely come up with a creative game plan to slow down Jokic, so it will be essential that the role players step up offensively. Jokic will be able to get his team clean looks because of his passing ability, but Denver has to knock them down to have a chance. While it's unlikely that one of the Denver role players is suddenly going to average 25 points per game, the hope will be that at least one of them gets hot, and can help keep the offense afloat in the brief time that Jokic rests.

Prediction

With Curry, Thompson and Green all playing, it's hard to imagine the Nuggets keeping pace with the Warriors, even taking Jokic's brilliance into consideration. The Nuggets may adjust later in the series, but it's certainly possible that they get blitzed in the frenzied atmosphere of Chase Center in Game 1. Pick: Warriors -6.5