At Chase Center in San Franciscothe Golden State Warriors delivered one of the most surprising wins of their season: a 128-117 victory over the Denver Nuggetsdespite a massive performance from Nikola Jokicwho posted 35 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists. An MVP-caliber triple-double – and still not enough.
The twist? Golden State was without its four highest-paid players, accounting for more than $170 million in seasonal salaries sitting out.
Warriors Without Stars, But With Identity
Out for the season with a torn ACL, Jimmy Butler; still sidelined with a knee issue, Stephen Curry; late scratch due to illness, Kristaps Porzingis; and a pregame withdrawal from Draymond Green because of back stiffness.
A situation that could have sunk anyone. Not Golden State.
Steve Kerr’s team reinvented itself, leaning into high pace and relentless pressure against a visibly fatigued Denver squad playing its third road game in four days following the All-Star break.
The plan was simple: keep pressure on them and make them run. We were rested, they weren’t. You could see it.
Steve Kerr
The result? 15 made threes in the first half alone and a lead built with poise against a Nuggets defense slow on its rotations.
Horford Surprises Denver, Jokic Pulled Away From the Paint
With Green ruled out at the last minute, Kerr inserted Al Horford into the starting lineup. A move that shifted the game’s balance.
The veteran big knocked down two threes in the first 76 seconds, three in the opening quarter and six total, consistently punishing Jokic whenever he strayed too far from the lane. He finished with 22 points, a season high in a Warriors uniform.
It was destabilizing. The game plan was completely different.
David Adelman
Golden State leveraged Horford’s floor-spacing ability, forcing Jokic to defend away from the rim and draining valuable energy.
Brandin Podziemski Flips the Game in the Fourth
After three difficult quarters (1-of-10 shooting), Brandin Pod Ziemia completely changed the narrative of the night.
In the fourth quarter, he made all six of his shots, producing 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists in just 12 minutes. Three clutch buckets effectively sealed the game.
He finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists — perhaps his most significant performance in what has been an up-and-down third NBA season.
He’s an extremely versatile player. We’re trying to find the right balance for him: create without monopolizing the ball.
Steve Kerr
On Sunday, that balance came at the most important time.
Jokic Dominant, But Still Rounding Into Form
For Jokic, this marked his 10th game back after missing 16 contests with a knee hyperextension. The numbers remain eye-popping, but his late-game impact was limited: 3 points, 1 rebound, just two shot attempts in the final six minutes, as Denver was outscored by 11 in the closing stretch.
I’ve never been in a situation like this. Before the injury I felt great. I need time – more than usual.
Nikola Jokic
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