The Golden State Warriors defeated the Nuggets on the back of Stephen Curry’s ingenious performance. This was their third consecutive win against challenging West opponents. For Denver, it was a third straight loss. However, they might have ended the night feeling they should have won. The Nikola Jokic-powered side scored 44 first-quarter points and led significantly in the second quarter. But the script turned.
So what happened? The Joker was on top of his game as usual. He missed just four shots and was at the head of the action for the Nuggets. But even he noticed the game slip away after the first quarter. Things just weren’t happening as the Nuggets would desire. And Jokic felt the Warriors were quick to capitalize.
“I mean they changed the rhythm of the game and I think it was not wasn’t easy. Maybe we were just making shots, we were quicker to the ball winning maybe 50/50, running, making stops, rebound, and after that, we didn’t. We were not organized. We had 20-something turnovers it’s really hard to win on the road like that,” Jokic described.
The Nuggets could only salvage 16 points in the second quarter. Against a Warriors team that had won 23 of their 37 games at home, all they needed was one misstep from their rivals. As that happened, the gates for a comeback opened wide enough to make it a lob-sided victory.
Dec 16, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Nikola Jokic’s near 33-point triple-double went in vain. It was after eight straight victories that the Nuggets fell to the Warriors. Jamal Murray’s absence might have contributed to Denver’s offense falling apart. But that’s not how they feel in the locker room. There are two reasons they believe to have lost this game.
The Nuggets have two key problems
The Denver Nuggets were cruising in the first quarter. They only committed three turnovers and Nikola Jokic was working his magic. However, that was the only 12 minutes of basketball where the Nuggets’ system would work seamlessly. Moreover, the Warriors also seemed to be the more assertive side in their contest.
Aaron Gordon was asked after the game about why Denver faltered. “Turnovers and defensive rebounding. You know we weren’t able to secure the ball after one shot so you can’t give a team like that multiple chances to score on one possession and you can’t turn the ball over. You got to get a shot every time,” the forward noted.
The Nuggets committed a season-high 25 turnovers tonight. They did a good job defending the transition allowing only 23 points to come off their errors. Additionally, the Warriors also grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, giving them an 18-11 second chance points advantage. But now the real conundrum is how the Nuggets solve their problems. There’s less than two weeks remaining before they will play a first-round playoff series. However, as concerning as it might sound, Gordon doesn’t think their turnover issue is solvable.
“I mean we’re a team that passes the ball. We pass the ball, I don’t know correct me if I’m wrong but we lead the league in assists right. So if you’re going to pass the ball you’re going to turn the ball over a little bit more. But you know just to be stronger, be a little bit more secure with the ball um and then when we’re in transition we need to convert,” said Gordon.
Making their offense more clinical isn’t going to happen overnight. Moreover, once Jamal Murray returns, the two-man game with Nikola Jokic could dictate the Nuggets’ playoff viability. However, for a team that does assist a lot, there is a high chance of turnovers arising. But for their ball movement to become a strength, they need to sharpen their offense a lot more.
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