Nuggets Vs Warriors: Podziemski’s late surge lifts shorthanded Warriors to 128-117 win
The Warriors pulled off a surprising 128-117 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 22, 2026, in a game billed as a mismatch on paper. The result matters now because Golden State won despite playing its seventh straight game without Steph Curry and losing other key contributors shortly before tipoff.
Warriors roster setbacks: Porziņģis illness and Green’s back injury
Hours before the game, the Warriors announced Kristaps Porziņģis — who had been set to play his second game with the team — was too sick to travel to the arena. Head coach Steve Kerr characterized the illness as serious and said Porziņģis may not join the team for an upcoming two-city road trip. Then, minutes before tipoff, the Warriors declared Draymond Green out with a lower back injury. The contest went forward with Golden State missing Steph Curry (seventh straight game absent), Draymond Green, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Jimmy Butler III.
Starting five response: Pat Spencer, De’Anthony Melton, Moses Moody, Gui Santos, Al Horford
With a patched lineup, Golden State’s starting five of Pat Spencer, De’Anthony Melton, Moses Moody, Gui Santos and Al Horford opened aggressively. The group generated early ball movement and perimeter shooting that produced an immediate 11-2 lead, highlighted by Al Horford draining a pair of three-pointers. Horford finished the first quarter with 11 points and Moody added eight as the Warriors shot 9-for-19 from three and led 39-27 after the opening frame.
Nikola Jokić impact and Nuggets adjustments
Denver’s Nikola Jokić, described in the game coverage as the consensus best player in the world, dominated Denver’s offense despite the deficit. Just over five minutes into the game, the Nuggets had made six field goals and Jokić had assisted on all six. Christian Braun pushed into the paint with cuts that troubled Golden State’s defense, and Jamal Murray — noted as a first-time All-Star for the season — began chipping away as Denver tightened its defense to open the second quarter. The Nuggets were otherwise healthy for the matchup, playing without Aaron Gordon.
Teamwide shooting and Podziemski’s late 12 points
Golden State’s second quarter was described as a full-team effort, with all nine healthy players contributing through deflections, loose-ball plays, rebounds and long-range shooting. The Warriors made 15 three-pointers in the first half and set a season high for most points in a half, carrying a 76-67 lead into the break. Brandin Podziemski then provided a late run, scoring 12 late points that helped secure the final margin in a 128-117 result.
Box-score note: Jokic triple-double in losing effort
Even with Jokić recording a triple-double, Denver could not overcome Golden State’s collective scoring and timely defense. The loss dropped the Nuggets to a 36-21 record at the time of the game. The Warriors’ ability to sustain offensive balance in the absence of multiple stars proved decisive.
What makes this notable is how a combination of disciplined ball movement and varied perimeter shooting allowed a shorthanded Golden State team to neutralize Denver’s star play; the early barrage of threes and contributions from the full complement of available players turned a potentially lopsided matchup into an upset. The timing matters because the Warriors achieved this outcome while facing immediate roster disruption minutes before tipoff and with uncertainty about Porziņģis’s availability for the road trip.
