Nuggets Vs Warriors: Brandin Podziemski Leads Shorthanded Warriors to Stunning 128-117 Win
The Nuggets Vs Warriors matchup ended in shock as the Golden State Warriors pulled off a surprising 128-117 victory over the Denver Nuggets. The result was notable not only for the final score but for the extreme adversity the Warriors overcame: they were playing their seventh straight game without Steph Curry and lost additional contributors in the hours and minutes before tipoff.
Nuggets Vs Warriors: roster shocks and late scratches
Hours before the game, the Warriors announced that recent trade acquisition Kristaps Porziņģis, who was set to play his second game with the team, was sick and would not be able to make it to the arena. Head coach Steve Kerr characterized the illness as very serious and indicated that Porziņģis may not join the team on their upcoming two-city road trip. Minutes before tipoff, the Warriors added another blow: Draymond Green was dealing with a lower back injury and would not play.
Those absences left Golden State without Curry, Green, Porziņģis, and Jimmy Butler III. The Warriors nevertheless faced a 36-21 Nuggets club that was missing Aaron Gordon but was otherwise healthy.
Shorthanded Warriors open fast with surprise starting five
Golden State opened with a starting five of Pat Spencer, De’Anthony Melton, Moses Moody, Gui Santos, and Al Horford. That group exploded early: the Warriors immediately built an 11-2 lead, fueled by ball movement and deep shooting that drew frequent comparisons to Curry-esque spacing. Al Horford knocked down a pair of triples in the opening minutes.
Jokić’s play and Denver’s early response
Nuggets center Nikola Jokić was central to Denver’s early offense, repeatedly picking apart Golden State’s defense. By the mandatory timeout just over five minutes into the game, Denver had made six field goals and Jokić had assisted on all six. Despite that playmaking, Golden State’s ball movement kept them in front.
First-quarter surge and standout moments
The first quarter became a shootout. Christian Braun attacked with cuts that created problems for the Warriors’ defense, while Gui Santos contributed across the board. A late flurry led by Santos and rookie Will Richard helped Golden State finish the opening frame up 39-27. The Warriors shot a blistering 9-for-19 from three in that quarter, with Al Horford finishing the quarter with 11 points and Moses Moody contributing eight.
Second quarter: Nuggets tighten, Warriors sustain scoring
Denver tightened its defense to open the second quarter and first-time All-Star Jamal Murray began chipping away at the lead. The Warriors countered with a complete team effort: all nine healthy players contributed with deflections, loose-ball plays, rebounds and additional threes. Golden State led 76-67 at halftime, having made a stunning 15 threes in the first half and setting their season record for most points in the opening 24 minutes while doing so.
Midgame ambiguity and what’s unresolved
The narrative following halftime is unclear in the provided context. Key roster questions remain for Golden State, including the status of Kristaps Porziņģis for the upcoming road trip and the severity of Draymond Green’s lower back issue. The win itself stands out: a shorthanded Warriors team that lacked Curry managed to outscore a favored Nuggets club and hold a lead through multiple stretches of dynamic offense and team defense.
Takeaways from an unlikely victory
The night combined several surprising elements: the Warriors’ resilience without Curry, late illnesses and injuries to newly acquired and veteran players, Jokić’s dominant facilitation early on, and a teamwide shooting barrage that produced 15 first-half threes. The final 128-117 score underscores how effectively Golden State's depth and ball movement compensated for multiple absences.
Details about the second-half sequence and postgame reactions are unclear in the provided context and may evolve as further information becomes available.
