The Nuggets found themselves on the wrong end of a track meet Monday night, giving up 134 points to an 0-3 Warriors team that came into Ball Arena and took control early. Golden State’s stars, plus its rookie contributors, set the tone in the first half and never really let go, while Denver’s defense kept springing leaks all night.
Even with Cam Johnson and Spencer Jones still out, Denver went with Bryce Hopkins in the starting lineup, another sign this staff is leaning into development on the wing. Hopkins logged 31 minutes and Trevon Brazile had his moments, but by the time the final buzzer sounded, Denver’s Championship Core™ looked overwhelmed.
Nikola Jokić got the Nuggets moving right away with a three, part of a strong all-around opening stretch that also included a Michael Porter Jr. steal and a Jokić assist to Jamal Murray for a triple. Denver briefly built a cushion behind Jokić, Murray, Aaron Gordon, and DeMar DeRozan, but the Warriors answered quickly.
Brandin Podziemski hit from deep, Draymond Green chipped in, and Golden State nudged ahead 13-8 before the Nuggets steadied things and pushed back in front. Tre’zilla checked in near the four-minute mark and immediately knocked down a three, and Jokić’s putback made it 26-18 before the quarter settled into a back-and-forth finish.
Golden State flipped the game in the second quarter by attacking Denver’s bench and winning the turnover battle in real time. A pair of threes helped the Warriors retake the lead, and Gary Peyton Jr.’s tap-in capped an 8-0 run.
Stephen Curry’s first shot of the game initially counted as an and-one before the call was reversed, though he still buried the “ball-don’t-lie” three to put Golden State up five. Denver did get a response from Christian Braun and Murray, and Jokić re-entered to find Hopkins for a corner three before scoring at the rim himself.
But the Nuggets couldn’t finish the half cleanly. Golden State closed with a 13-4 run to take a 60-56 lead into the break.
DeRozan gave Denver some life in the first half with 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting, including a three. Jokić was on triple-double pace with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in 18 minutes. On the other side, Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg led all scorers with 15 points and a +11.
The second half never really turned in Denver’s favor. Curry and Lendeborg helped push the lead to 67-60, and Podziemski’s driving lay-in forced a quick timeout as Golden State stretched to its biggest advantage of the night at that point.
Murray answered with his 12th from deep, and a steal led to another Hopkins layup, cutting the margin back to six. But Curry immediately answered with a layup and three free throws after a questionable closeout foul on Braun, and the Warriors’ offense kept piling on.
DeRozan tried to spark a comeback with another three and a baseline fall-away, then added more free throws to get Denver within 10, but Golden State had a counter for everything. Jokić blocked Lendeborg, Hopkins finished a dunk from Brazile, and the Nuggets briefly trimmed it to single digits.
Still, the quarter ended the same way the others had: with the Warriors finishing stronger. Al Horford’s baseline jumper capped an 11-2 run and sent Denver to the fourth down 100-84.
The fourth quarter brought more of the same. Gordon opened with an aggressive drive and an and-one, but a Murray turnover and another Golden State trip to the line quickly erased any momentum.
George Niang’s third three pushed the Warriors’ lead to 17, and when Braun finally hit his first triple, he followed it with an offensive foul that helped lead to Gordon being ejected after arguing the call, or something that earned him a double T. Curry knocked down both technical free throws to make it 110-91.
From there, the Nuggets’ last stand fizzled. Jokić returned alongside Murray, DeRozan, Braun, and Bagley, but Murray gave the ball away again and Denver sent Lendeborg back to the line once more.
Murray answered with a strong drive and Jokić drew a foul, but it wasn’t enough to change the night’s shape. Moses Melton’s corner three and Lendeborg’s dunk - his first 30-point game in the NBA - sealed it.
With 7:08 left, the Nuggets called timeout, then eventually emptied the bench with the crowd already headed for the exits.
FINAL SCORE: Golden State Warriors 134, Denver Nuggets 114
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