Warriors fall to a team they should always beat but don’t
DENVER — Nikola Jokic scored 19 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:10 left, and added nine rebounds as the Nuggets beat the Warriors 115-108 on Saturday night.
Will Barton had 25 points and Gary Harris 16 for the Nuggets, who split the four games with Golden State this season. Denver rallied from 12 down in the second half to hand the Warriors their second loss in three games.
Kevin Durant scored 31 points and Stephen Curry had 24 for Golden State.
Denver got a scare when Jamal Murray left the game with a right leg injury after he collided with Draymond Green on a drive into the lane less than a minute in. He went to the locker room and came back to the bench with his right thigh heavily wrapped.
Murray played 28 minutes and had 12 of his 15 points after halftime.
Durant, who didn’t attempt a shot in the first quarter, was 12 of 16 from the field the rest of the game. He had nine points in the fourth when Golden State appeared to take control, but Denver rallied to take a 102-99 lead on Barton’s 3-pointer.
With the game tied at 104, Harris misfired on a dunk but the ball went to Jokic in the corner, and he drained a 3-pointer to give Denver the lead.
After Curry missed a 26-footer, Jokic hit two free throws to make it 109-104 and Denver closed it out.