The Golden State Warriors lost 119-103 on Sunday night to the Denver Nuggets. The Dubs will be kicking themselves after blowing an early lead to Nikola Jokić and the defending champs. Nevertheless, they fall to 29-27 on the season, dropping to the 10th seed in the Western Conference.
The Warriors overcame some early-game shooting from Steph Curry to jump out in front by 16 points in the first half. Klay Thompson was scorching hot in the first quarter, knocking down four triples and scoring 16 points off the bench.
Thompson’s offensive explosion alongside strong starts from Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga seemed to have the Warriors firing on all cylinders. However, the Nuggets had plenty of fight left in them. The Nuggets went on a 14-0 run, and managed to tie things up 61-61 at the half.
Denver took the lead a few minutes into the third quarter, and they would never trail again. Curry was a bit more effective offensively, but Thompson, Wiggins, and Kuminga were all quiet in the second half. As the Nuggets ramped up their efforts defensively and the Warriors outside shooting disappeared, the Warriors dealt with several scoring dry spells that were only made worse by several sloppy turnovers.
The Nuggets never quite made things a blowout, but they incrementally built upon their lead throughout the second half and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the last four and a half minutes of regulation.
Jokić finished with 32 points, 16 rebounds, 16 assists, and four steals in an incredible all-around performance. Jamal Murray added 27 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the field. Thompson finished with a Warriors high 23 points while Curry was just 6-for-19 from the floor with one three-point make.
The Warriors will have an opportunity to bounce back against a less talented opponent later this week. They will be traveling east to face the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.