Denver Nuggets middle Nikola Jokic, third from left, appears to drive to the rim as, from left, Golden State Warriors ahead Dario Saric, ahead Kevon Looney and guard Stephen Curry defend within the first half of an NBA basketball sport, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photograph/David Zalubowski)
DENVER — Nikola Jokic plans to spend an off day on the swimming pool along with his daughter. He’s not going to spend a second enthusiastic about basketball.
The Denver massive man has definitely earned a break.
An exhausted Jokic had 35 factors and 13 rebounds in additional than 36 minutes of motion to assist the Nuggets maintain off the Golden State Warriors 108-105 within the NBA on Wednesday night time.
Reggie Jackson, filling in for an injured Jamal Murray, added 20 factors to assist the defending champion Nuggets enhance to an NBA-best 8-1 total and 6-0 at house.
“We really feel prefer it’s group of men and we’re enjoying the precise method,” Jokic mentioned. “I feel that’s why we’re successful the video games.”
Jokic performed all the third quarter in an effort to assist out a struggling bench unit. He additionally exerted vitality making an attempt to fend off Warriors massive man Kevon Looney. Jokic had an opportunity to wrap it up with 15 seconds left and the Nuggets up 107-105, however missed two free throws.
Stephen Curry’s floater within the lane to tie it up was off the mark and the ball went out of bounds off the Warriors. Jackson hit one in all two free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining, and Klay Thompson couldn’t get a shot off on the buzzer.
“I assumed we competed at a excessive degree,” mentioned Thompson, who had 15 factors. “We have been proper there, gave ourselves an opportunity to win in a really arduous place to win.”
Michael Porter Jr. scored 17 factors for Denver, and Aaron Gordon added 14 factors and 11 rebounds.
Curry, contemporary off successful the Western Convention participant of the week award, was hounded all night time, principally by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and completed with 23 factors.
Denver led by 12 within the first half, trailed by 5 early within the fourth quarter after which rallied behind Jackson and Jokic.
Nikola Jokic’s dominant begin to the season continued within the Denver W 🃏
35 PTS
13 REB
5 AST pic.twitter.com/HsD8Spe7UE— NBA (@NBA) November 9, 2023
What stored the Warriors shut was their bench. Golden State’s reserves outscored Denver’s backups 42-12.
“I assumed that our bench struggled tonight,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone mentioned. “Our younger guys, I didn’t assume have been actually ready to return into the sport and play tonight. First time I’ve seen that this season they usually’ll be taught from it.”
Malone went with veteran Justin Vacation over one of many youthful gamers within the fourth quarter.
“I’m not the Salvation Military. I’m not simply going to offer minutes,” Malone mentioned. “It’s a must to proceed to earn your minutes.”
Each groups have been short-handed, with the Nuggets lacking Murray for a second straight sport due to a strained proper hamstring. The Warriors have been with out p Draymond Inexperienced for private causes and Gary Payton II as a consequence of an sickness.
The present throughout the present was the matchup between former MVPs Curry and Jokic.
Jokic confirmed his court docket imaginative and prescient, ending with 5 assists and none higher than his move to a chopping Jackson to make it 105-102 with 1:09 remaining. Jokic additionally got here out with a mindset to take extra photographs in opposition to Golden State. He completed 14 of 25, going 1 of 8 from 3-point vary.
“He approaches the sport totally different sport to sport,” Looney defined. “I felt like he was actually aggressive at the moment.”
Curry flashed his long-range magic, hitting 6 of 13 from behind the arc. He’s drained 4 or extra 3-pointers in 9 straight video games to start out the season.
“It was a hell of a combat. Our guys actually competed and gave themselves an opportunity to win,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “Powerful, robust technique to end however couldn’t be extra pleased with them and extra enthusiastic about our crew.”
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