During this time, the Golden State Warriors were in very bad shape, not only the Phoenix Suns, who were catching up with the league's top spot, but also the gap between them and the other top ranked teams was also very small. The Warriors' away game against the Denver Nuggets is actually a card battle, and if they fall all the way to the trough, the Warriors may even have home advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Fortunately, the Warriors finally withstood the pressure, and they came in to the top and took over the game in the second half to reverse the victory.
Against the Nuggets, in addition to the strength of the other side, the Highland home court is also a big test, so the Warriors began into passivity, and after halftime, the Warriors trailed the Nuggets by 9 points. But in the second half, the Warriors were in full control of the initiative, and they played a 37-24 attack wave in the third quarter to reverse the score in one fell swoop. Entering the final quarter of the game into a white-hot stage, the Warriors suddenly made a force in the final moment to win the game smoothly. One of the most crucial aspects is that the Warriors are quite targeted against the defense of the opposing star Nikola Jokic. If you only look at the post-game statistics, Nikola Jokic once again cut a quasi-triple-double of 23 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists, but the Warriors frequently forced him to stay away from the box, coupled with this Nikola Jokic's own poor hand, all 8 shots outside the three-point line were deflected, and there were 4 fouls and 5 turnovers, Nikola Jokic played uncomfortably, and the Nuggets naturally had less fierceness.
As the second-round pick of 2014, Nikola Jokic has improved every season, and he is not only the absolute core of the Nuggets, but also won the regular season Most Valuable Player award last season, and it is quite rare to achieve such an achievement in the entire history of the league with such a low pick. Nikola Jokic has continued to perform well this season, averaging 26.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, 8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks so far this season, shooting 57.5% from the field and 35.2% from three-point range.
Arguably, without Nikola Jokic, or if the position had been replaced by an ordinary starting center, the Nuggets would undoubtedly have been the league's brisket. Especially this season, the Nuggets have been affected by a wave of serious injuries, and Jamal Murray, the team's second-in-command, experienced a serious injury to the ACL last season and has not returned so far. On the other hand, Michael Porter, a rising star who just signed a big contract before the start of the season, is also in a state of long-term absence due to injury reasons, and it is likely that the season was reimbursed early. So in this case, Nikola Jokic almost single-handedly brought the Nuggets to the top six positions in the West, and due to the presence of Joel Embiid, there may be controversy about the ownership of the league's first center, but in terms of the West alone, no one can currently be in the same grade as Nikola Jokic.
Before this game against the Warriors, Nikola Jokic was in a hot state, and in the game with the New Orleans Pelicans, Jokic cut a big triple-double with 46 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, as well as 3 steals and 4 blocks; the last time against the Warriors, Jokic cut 32 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists; and against the weak Sacramento Kings, Jokic was even more aggressive, bombarding 38 points, 18 rebounds and 17 assists, for Jokic, getting a triple-double is a common thing. However, in the game against the Warriors, Jokic was limited, especially in the decisive moment of the game, the Warriors discharged a lineup of Kevin Rooney, Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Stephen Curry, but exploded a 13-0 attack wave, setting the victory in one fell swoop. Jokic made 2 mistakes during this period, and his last 3 shots were all deflected, the Warriors let Kevin Rooney follow Jokic, although he could not prevent the latter, but at least it could play a draining role, and the teammates around him would pack or assist in time, forcing the Nuggets to deal with other players, and finally they also bet right.
Of course, defense alone is certainly not enough, the Warriors' own offense is also remarkable, in addition to a few starts, there are also players on the bench to stand up. Since Klay Thompson's return, Jordan Poole has transformed into the Warriors' sixth man, and after the initial struggle and discomfort, Jordan Poole gradually adjusted, and against the Nuggets, he scored 21 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, +29 plus or minus is also the highest of all players on both teams.
On the other hand, rookie forward Jonathan Cumminga also became a member of the Warriors' rotation during this time. Against the Nuggets, Cumminga scored another 18 points and three rebounds to support both ends of the offensive and defensive ends. Everyone knows that Cumminga has unlimited potential, but I'm afraid no one thought he would be able to cash in on his talent so quickly. Although due to the stability of the Warriors' several starting positions, whether it is Jordan Poole or Jonathan Cuminga, they can only play as substitutes for the time being, but at this stage they can still act as a fresh force to impact the opponent. At the same time, when these masters will grow old or even leave in the future, they may become an important core of the Warriors.