Nikola Jokic scored his second triple-double in as many nights with 32 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists, helping the Denver Nuggets win a 131-124 victory over the short-handed Golden State Warriors on Monday night.
Jokic has recorded triple-doubles in 11 of his last 23 matches, and leads the league this season with 18. The current NBA MVP was coming off a 46-point, 12-rebound and 11-assist game in Sunday's 138-130 win over New Orleans.
Monte Morris and Jeff Green added 18 points for the Nuggets, who have won 11 of 13 and have gone over .500 in 13 games for the first time this season. "We did a good job of finishing today in terms of ball-sharing and scoring," said Jokic. “We ran very well in the transition. It's always good to have more than 30 assistants (as a team)."
The Warriors were playing with a lousy lineup after coach Steve Kerr announced on Saturday that Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins would miss the game to rest. Andre Iguodala and Gary Peyton Jr were also unavailable due to injuries.
Jordan Poole scored 32 points and Moses Moody 30 points for the Warriors, who lost their fifth straight and seventh in eight games. Golden State fell 0-3 against the Nuggets this season.
Monday's game was postponed to December 30 because of the COVID-19 outbreak, which left the Nuggets without eight healthy players, the minimum mandated for the league to take the floor. But the result was that the Warriors, who have another match in Denver on Thursday night, had to play at height twice in four days. Golden State has Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers in San Francisco.
"It puts us in a more difficult place than him," Kerr said before the game. "We had to fly here again. They didn't have to travel extra. I know they have to play back-to-back. It was another thing in many games rescheduled around the league, which is inconvenient for everyone, But it's essential for the league to continue, so you just do what you have to do."
The Nuggets are also enduring a scheduling crisis, playing four games over five days and facing the Warriors both times in their second games back-to-back this week.
"Every coach should do what's best for their team," said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who said he expects the Warriors to see a full complement of players when they make the return trip to Denver.
Down 71-69 at halftime, the Warriors went 83-77 in front of a 3-pointer by the pool. But the Nuggets beat Golden State 27-18 in 9 1/2 minutes to take a 104-101 lead in the fourth quarter.
A 3-pointer by the pool pulled the Warriors to 117–114 with 4:57 remaining, but Austin Rivers had a jumper and a breakaway dunk, around Kevon Looney's dunk, for a five-point Denver advantage. There was :29 left.
Jokic converted a three-point play, hitting a floater in the lane and making another free throw to help the Nuggets hang on to the win. "It's a really cool experience for our youth, to be in a position where they have to take on different roles, different responsibilities, there is competition and opportunity," Kerr said. "All you can ask is, give yourself a chance in the last few minutes, we just couldn't stop." MVP Ideas
Kerr said Jokic's strong game this season deserves another MVP award. "I don't have the vote, but Jokic is just an incredible player and tonight was fantastic," the Warriors coach said. "He betters his teammates, he makes defense so tough because he gets a counter for whatever you do."
Tip-ins
Warriors: F Otto Porter Jr was ruled out before the game due to non-Covid illness. "He's just feeling sick and won't play," Kerr said. "He's going to sit out and hope he feels better tomorrow." ... f Draymond Green, sidelined with a back injury since early January, is getting along well in his rehabilitation and making his comeback, although the Warriors will not put a timetable on it . "We are optimistic," Kerr said. "He's had about a week, a week and a half of being on the court almost every day, getting a lot of shots, scuffles. He's feeling so much better and is coming along, but there's still no target date .
Nuggets: F Will Barton skipped Sunday night's overtime win against New Orleans early because of a left ankle. "It's nothing too serious, but it's too sad to give it up tonight," coach Michael Malone said. ... Jokic has 75 career triple doubles runs, three just shy of tying Wilt Chamberlain by a center in NBA history.
Next
Warriors: Host the Los Angeles Clippers to complete a road-and-home back-to-back Tuesday night.
The Nuggets: Travel to Sacramento to play the Kings on Wednesday night.