The Denver Nuggets were always going to fight hard in front of their home fans, and it didn’t matter that they were facing a Golden State Warriors team that had beaten them by 20 points in Game 2.
When you have a superstar like Nikola Jokic on your team, there is always a chance to win a game, and he again produced a masterpiece of a game with 37 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and three steals while shooting 14 of 22 from the field.
However, a strong performance from the 2021 MVP found got an sewer from the Warriors’ three splash brothers. Their sweet-shooting guard trio put on another hell of a shooting display, with all of them shooting over 50% from the field. With Steph Curry again coming off the bench, the three again spread out the offense and killed the Nuggets.
Steph Curry again came off the bench and finished with 27 points, three rebounds, six assists while shooting 9 of 17. He also played 31 minutes so it may not be long before he returns to the starting lineup, even though they’re killing it with him coming off the pine.
Klay Thompson also showed off his stroke, contributing 26 points and two blocks while making 6 of 13 threes and 10 of 18 overall. He did that without taking a single free throw, which made his output more impressive.
Jordan Poole continued to thrive in a starting role with 27 points, three rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. He made 9 of 13 shots and 3 of 5 triples. He looked to have hurt himself in the third quarter, but it didn’t seem too serious as he came back in the game after getting a heating pad on his arm for a while. He still finished the game as the Warriors’ leading scorer, so it looks like he’ll be just fine.
Curry, Thompson and Poole did enough to overcome the tough challenge from the Nuggets, who kept it close in the second half. Denver grabbed an 80-75 lead to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit with 6:01 left in the third quarter, and kept it close the rest of the game. They took an 89-87 advantage into the fourth after outscoring the Warriors 30-18 in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was a tight affair that saw a lot of free throws because both teams got into the penalty early. Jokic gave the Nuggets a 111-109 lead with 3:20 left in the game, which got the Denver crowd off their feet. Unfortunately, the Nuggets would only score once more after that, as the Warriors outlasted them 118-113. You’ve got to feel for Jokic, who really needs Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.
Throwback moment:
Andre Iguodala turned back the clock for one possession in the fourth quarter, reminding everyone that he used to be one of the most feared dunkers in the NBA.
