Nuggets Vs Warriors — Podziemski’s 12 Late Points Lift Shorthanded Warriors to 128-117 Win
In a surprising finish on Feb. 22, 2026, the nuggets vs warriors matchup ended with the Golden State Warriors beating the Denver Nuggets 128-117, a result powered by Brandin Podziemski’s 12 late points despite Nikola Jokić finishing with a triple-double.
Nuggets Vs Warriors: Podziemski’s late push sealed the win
Podziemski scored 12 late points to close out a 128-117 victory over Denver, and the Warriors completed one of their most surprising wins of the year against a team described in the buildup as significantly better. The final score and Podziemski’s closing burst stood out even as Jokić produced a triple-double for the Nuggets in the loss.
Shorthanded Warriors held together without Curry, Porziņģis and Green
Golden State entered the game playing its seventh straight contest without Steph Curry and was further depleted when Kristaps Porziņģis — who had been set to play his second game with the team — was ruled out a few hours before tipoff due to illness; Coach Steve Kerr indicated it sounded like a very serious illness and that Porziņģis may not join the Warriors on their upcoming two-city road trip. Minutes before the game, the team also announced that Draymond Green would not play because of a lower back injury, leaving the Warriors without Curry, Green, Porziņģis, and Jimmy Butler III.
Early barrage: Horford, Santos and a 9-for-19 first quarter
The Warriors’ starting five — Pat Spencer, De’Anthony Melton, Moses Moody, Gui Santos and Al Horford — came out firing and immediately took an 11-2 lead when Al Horford drained a pair of triples. By the end of the first quarter Golden State led 39-27 after shooting 9-for-19 from three; Horford finished the quarter with 11 points and Moody had eight. Rookie Will Richard and Gui Santos led a late flurry to close the frame.
Jokić’s orchestration and Denver’s push
Just over five minutes into the game, at the mandatory timeout, the Nuggets had made six field goals and Nikola Jokić had assisted on all six. Christian Braun attacked the defense with cuts, and Denver tightened its defense to open the second quarter while Jamal Murray chipped away at the lead. The Nuggets were 36-21 coming into the matchup and were playing without Aaron Gordon but otherwise healthy.
Team effort in the second, season-first-half scoring mark for Golden State
The second quarter was a complete team effort for the Warriors, with all nine healthy players contributing — deflections, loose-ball plays, rebounds and more threes — and Golden State led 76-67 at halftime after making a stunning 15 threes in the first half. With Curry sidelined, the Warriors set their season record for most points in the first half. The article’s account then notes that "the halftime hangout sapped Golden State’s shooting ability" and the continuation of that sentence is unclear in the provided context.
What’s next for the Warriors and Nuggets
Golden State must now address roster availability for its upcoming two-city road trip, with Porziņģis’ illness leaving his participation in doubt and Draymond Green sidelined by a lower back injury; the team is also midway through a stretch of games without Steph Curry. Denver, at 36-21, will regroup after the 128-117 defeat that featured Jokić’s triple-double but came up short in the late stages.
