The Golden State Warriors delivered a commanding 118-104 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night time, extending their win streak to 5 video games and pushing the defending champions additional right into a late-season droop. After pulling forward with a double-digit lead within the third quarter, the Warriors by no means appeared again, maintaining the Nuggets at bay and denying them any likelihood at a comeback.
For Denver, the loss marked their third straight, approaching the heels of powerful defeats in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs. Frustration was visibly boiling over, and it reached a breaking level within the fourth quarter.
Cameras caught Nikola Jokic – usually stoic and measured – seated on the bench, visibly pissed off and throwing what seemed to be a verbal outburst directed at his teammates. Whereas the audio wasn’t picked up, the reigning MVP’s physique language spoke volumes in regards to the workforce’s inner rigidity.
Nuggets slide in standings whereas Warriors surge
With this newest defeat, the Nuggets noticed their grip on the Western Convention standings loosen. They fell from the third seed to fourth, now sitting at 37-31 on the season. In the meantime, the Los Angeles Lakers capitalized on the Nuggets’ misstep, sliding into the third seed after their victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Regardless of the frustration and the loss, Jokic continued to place up famous person numbers. The Serbian middle almost notched one other triple-double, ending with 33 factors, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists. Nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to fend off a pointy Golden State squad that has instantly discovered its rhythm.
Stephen Curry as soon as once more led the cost for the Warriors, scoring a game-high 36 factors. Rookie guard Brandin Podziemski stepped up in a significant means as effectively, contributing 26 factors in certainly one of his finest performances of the season. Golden State’s protection additionally deserves credit score for maintaining Denver at bay throughout key stretches, significantly within the third quarter the place they pulled forward and by no means let up.
