DENVER – With their franchise participant sick and caught at residence within the Bay Space, the Warriors wanted to play a nearly-perfect recreation simply to compete with the Nuggets in Denver on Friday evening.
They wanted well timed shotmaking by Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski. Energetic protection from Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Inexperienced. Crisp passes by the collective.
They obtained … none of that.
The Nuggets shredded the Steph Curry-less Warriors 129-104 at Ball Enviornment within the groups’ first Emirates Cup group stage recreation.
The Nuggets shot 55.8% from the sphere and made 12 of 20 3-pointers within the first half alone to take a 66-49 lead. In the meantime, the Warriors dedicated X turnovers and have been merely outmatched by the Nuggets.
Throughout one Nuggets run late within the second quarter, Warriors coach Steve Kerr sat immobile for a number of possessions, evident straight forward whereas displaying a glance of disgust.
The second half didn’t give Kerr a lot purpose to do something greater than that.
The workforce’s prime three younger gamers – Podziemski, Kuminga and Moody – mixed to attain simply two factors on 1 of 12 capturing within the first half whereas discovering time to commit three turnovers. They completed 10 of 29 from the sphere.
Jimmy Butler led the Warriors with 19 factors, and Draymond Inexperienced made 5 3-pointers and scored 17 factors. Nikola Jokic put up 26 factors on 12 of 15 capturing, whereas additionally shelling out 9 assists and grabbing 9 rebounds. He didn’t play within the fourth quarter.
Archbishop Mitty product and San Jose native Aaron Gordon scored 18 whereas abusing Podziemski and different Warriors guards within the low submit. His most spectacular two factors introduced again recollections of his days within the West Catholic Athletic League, a poster dunk that got here after he triple crossed up Hield within the third quarter.
The Warriors fell to 5-5 after dropping its fourth in 5 video games.
Golden State will try and snap its two-game dropping streak within the Bay Space on Sunday in opposition to Indiana.
Dropping the non-Jokic minutes
For Golden State to have any probability of defeating the Nuggets, the workforce would want to win the minutes that Nikola Jokic didn’t play.
After getting off to a 10-0 begin to start the second quarter, the Warriors regarded nicely on their option to doing simply that as they trailed simply 32-31.
However then Denver caught hearth from deep – Murray and backup heart Jonas Valanciunas every hit two – to spur a 19-3 run with the three-time MVP nonetheless on the bench.
Jokic and Gordon didn’t verify again in till the four-minute mark, and the well-rested duo helped the Nuggets preserve management.
Curry replace
Curry may very well be nearing a return to the courtroom after lacking the previous two video games with an sickness that left him coughing and sneezing throughout his final public look.
Previous to Friday’s recreation, Kerr stated that he had exchanged textual content messages together with his star, and that Curry’s situation was bettering. He informed media that he anticipated the purpose guard to be questionable for Sunday’s matchup with the Pacers.
Will Richard excels
There have been only a few positives for the Warriors on Friday evening. A kind of few was the play of second-round rookie Will Richard. Coming off a 30-point evening at Sacramento – the second-most ever by a Warrior rookie in a primary begin – he checked in halfway by means of the second quarter.
Richard’s motor ran excessive regardless of the lopsided rating, reducing for 2 layups and in addition canning a 3-pointer to place up a fast seven factors within the interval. He ended the evening with 12 factors. Quinten Publish scored 14 factors and Pat Spencer put in 10 with 4 assists as fellow sparks off the bench.
Upcoming schedule
The Warriors is not going to have lengthy to get pleasure from their journey again to the Bay Space. After taking part in Indiana, Golden State hits the street for a six-game street journey beginning on Tuesday.
The slate begins in Oklahoma Metropolis, sees the workforce play twice in San Antonio after which swings right down to New Orleans. The street journey concludes with a Florida back-to-back in Orlando and Miami.
