It’s not always pretty, but it was effective. The Denver Nuggets used a lockdown defense and game-saving blocks from MVP Nikola Jokic to secure an 89-86 road win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. Despite shooting 41.2 percent off the field, the Mile High squad forced 18 turnovers and suffered a cold shooting streak on offense in the second half as Denver came back with a win.
Denver used active defense to take an early 12-4 lead through the first four minutes of action. The Nuggets forced four turnovers during that opening stretch and hit five of their first eight-shot attempts. With Will Barton on fire on the offensive end, Denver continued to take advantage of Golden State’s mistakes on the defensive end and extended the lead to 15 late in the frame. Driven by 14 points from Barton and eight turnovers from the Warriors, the Nuggets took a 31-16 lead in the second quarter.
Denver not only maintained its double-digit lead to start the second quarter, but actually extended it to 16, as Fascundo Campazzo, Jaimichael Green and Bones Hyland boosted early success for the second unit. The Nuggets held a 21-point advantage near the midpoint of the frame as both teams went back to their starts. The lead increased to 24 at the break, with Denver up 60-36. Barton finished the half with 17 points, while the Nuggets restricted Steph Curry to just two points.
Although Denver went for no points in the first three minutes of the third quarter, Golden State could not take advantage as the lead remained at 23 at the start of the second half. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, their cold stretch continued in the later minutes as the Warriors used an 11-0 run to get to 65-53 within 12 points. Denver could only collect 14 points in the quarter but held on to a double-digit 74-61 lead in the final quarter.
The Warriors continued to hold Denver’s lead and eventually moved to within single digits at 79–74 with seven minutes remaining in the game. The Nuggets could not go away in the ensuing minutes as both teams traded defensive stops. A 3-pointer from Curry reduced Denver’s lead to three at 82-79, with only three minutes remaining. Golden State tied the game for 84 with one minute remaining, but Barton’s four-straight points gave Denver an 88-84 lead with 32 seconds remaining.
A crucial block on the rim by Jokic protected Denver’s two-point lead with 2.5 seconds remaining, and Andre Iguodala’s final second 3-point effort was cut short on the buzzer.
Here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s win.
Denver locked in defensively
Keeping Steph Curry up to two points and the Warriors as a team at 36 in basketball is a good recipe for success.
Denver’s defense came into play Tuesday night at the Chase Center, as the Nuggets held Golden State for 37.8 percent shooting from the field, including a 4-of-17 from just beyond the arc in the first 24 minutes of action. Another key factor in the success of the first half was Denver’s ability to force and capitalize on turnovers, as the Mile High squad scored 13 points from 10 turnovers in Golden State’s first half.
The Mile High squad continued their admirable effort at the defensive end in the second half, scoring 86 points for a new season-low for Golden State.
Nuggets' offense turned cold in the second half
It was a two-part story for Tuesday night’s crime of the Nuggets. After scoring 60 points on 57.1 percent shooting in the first two quarters, Denver’s offense came to a screeching halt in the third frame with just 14 points and six turnovers.
The Nuggets’ fortunes didn’t get much better in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 29-point second half. Despite taking the win, Denver actually finished Tuesday’s game with a low field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage.
Fortunately for the Nuggets, their defense kept them in the lead for the majority of Tuesday’s competition, but accelerating the offensive execution for 48 minutes will be crucial if they hope to make a repeat performance against Golden State on Thursday.
Turnovers highlighted struggles for both teams
Tuesday’s competition was not a pretty sight for fans of elite crime and shot-making. Both teams scored less than 43 percent and scored less than 90, largely due to the turnover of those clashes.
Golden State scored 18 on the night, while Denver was not far behind on 16. The key difference, however, was the effectiveness of correcting those mistakes, as the Nuggets scored 15 points of the Warriors’ turnover, while the Warriors scored only seven. Points out Denver’s mistakes. For head coach Michael Malone, Denver’s defensive effort Tuesday night should certainly boost confidence in the new year.