The Warriors began 2017 on a winning note after earning a 127-119 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Draymond Green recorded his second triple-double of the season with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, while Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant scored 25, 22 and 21 points, respectively, as Golden State improved to 12-0 this season when all three score at least 20 points each in the same game. With the victory, the Warriors move to 30-5 on the season, becoming the first team in NBA history to win 30 of their first 35 games in three consecutive seasons.
GAME LEADERS
Zaza Pachulia scored seven of Golden State’s first 11 points of the game, tying the score on a push shot just under four minutes into the contest. Klay Thompson drained his first three-pointer of the night on the Warriors’ next possession, and after four consecutive points from the Nuggets, Kevin Durant threw down a dunk at the 6:35 mark to put the Warriors in front, after which Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson converted back-to-back three-pointers to extend their lead to seven. That’s as large as it would get for the duration of the frame, however, as Denver responded with an 11-4 run over the next three minutes to tie the game. Ian Clark converted a three-pointer on the Warriors’ ensuing possession, and Golden State would go on to take a 35-33 advantage into the second quarter.
That shot seemed to get Clark going, as he’d score nine-straight points in a span of 93 seconds to put the Warriors up 46-42 with 9:26 remaining in the first half. The Nuggets wouldn’t go away, however, and would jump in front 41-38 on Jamal Murray’s three-pointer with 7:07 left. It was a short-lived lead though, as Thompson would tie the game 20 seconds later with another three-pointer. Soon after, Curry converted what would go on to be the shot of the night:
Curry’s shot increased Golden State’s lead to four points, which is the same margin they’d take into halftime after Kevin Durant gave Curry a run for his money with a three-point buzzer-beater.
Denver’s 64 points were the second-most the Warriors had allowed in any half this season, 32 of which were scored from within the paint.
Golden State would carry the momentum generated by Durant’s buzzer-beater into the second half, and would increase their lead to double-digits on his layup at the 8:07 mark of the third quarter. The Nuggets would trim that deficit to as low as six points five minutes later, but the Warriors would respond with an 8-0 run, capped by Draymond Green’s two free throws with 45 seconds remaining. Denver would close the frame on a 5-0 burst, however, as the Dubs would take a 94-85 lead into the fourth and final quarter.
Golden State would rebuild their lead to 12 on Thompson’s jumper with 9:37 remaining in regulation, but the Nuggets refused to go away. Denver would score eight of the next ten points in the game to pull within six on Wilson Chandler’s three-pointer at the 8:12 mark, immediately after which Andre Iguodala dunked to ignite a 15-6 Warriors’ run in response, taking their largest lead of the entire night on Green’s free throw that put them up 119-104 with 3:36 left to play. One last time, the Nuggets would surge back, and would counter with an 11-2 burst of their own to pull within six once more with 97 seconds left on the clock. That’s as close as they’d get however, as Green would convert a layup and a tip-in on the Warriors’ next two possessions to salt away the eventual 127-119 victory.
With the win, Golden State improves to 30-5 on the season. They’ll attempt to remain undefeated on their current homestand and extend their winning streak to four games when they host the Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.