The Nuggets overcame awful free-throw shooting, even worse 3-point shooting and somehow managed to take down the defending champion on Sunday night.
Despite missing numerous clutch free throws and going cold from beyond the arc, the Nuggets improved to 3-0 with their riveting 100-98 win over the Warriors at the .
And they have their vastly improved defense to thank.
Up 100-98 with just seconds left, Warriors guard Steph Curry drove and found center Damian Jones in the post, but Jones was stuffed at the rim by Juan Hernangomez at the buzzer. The Nuggets reserve was immediately mobbed by his teammates for the swat.
Warriors forward Draymond Green missed a crucial free throw that would have tied the game at 99 with 10 seconds left, and sunk 1-of-2 free throws on the other end to give the Nuggets a small cushion before the defensive stand.
“This is the defense I dream about, ever since I got here,” Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. “I firmly believe in defense being the corner piece to being a championship-level team. We’ve preached it, talked about and haven’t gotten it done. Thatap on me as a head coach. But the players deserve the credit.”
Itap the third consecutive game the Nuggets have held their opponent to fewer than 100 points, the first time in franchise history they’ve started a season like that.
It won’t be a box score to frame, but it might be one to analyze. Led by ’ 28 points and ’s 23, the Nuggets overcame shooting 24-for-42 from the free-throw line and 6-of-32 from the 3-point line. But they held the Warriors to just 45 percent shooting in their most impressive defensive effort of the season.
The Warriors rallied, as they’re accustomed to doing, storming back from a 93-87 deficit with 5:29 left. Curry hit a tough floater to draw Golden State within two points before Andre Iguodala jammed a transition dunk to even it at 97.
The Nuggets wouldn’t fold.
, and Hernangomez were pivotal to a third-quarter spurt that turned a two-point halftime deficit into an 80-70 lead. Each of those three had five points, boosting an offense that didn’t get much help from Murray (three points) or (five).
The Warriors figured to offer an early referendum on how improved this Nuggets’ defense really is, and if Sunday’s effort was any indication, Denver’s defense might have some staying power. It rotated, hustled and communicated like a team aware of its most pressing issue.
Curry reached 30 points, but he didn’t reach his demoralizing capacity, shooting just 10 of 23 from the field.
Denver’s , filling in for the injured , drew the assignment and did well considering his size disadvantage. Durant finished with 20 points from the field, but Craig helped keep him frustrated. Harris contained Klay Thompson to 15 points, and Morris played important minutes against Curry, chipping in with several timely third-quarter buckets.
Barton will be out for the “foreseeable future” with a right hip injury suffered Saturday night, and itap up to Malone to find an adequate replacement. The Nuggets’ offense has enough weapons to survive with him out, and Craig represents a versatile upgrade on defense.
“Itap a good question. I’m not really sure,” Malone said, hesitant to commit without knowing the severity of Barton’s injury. “On one hand, itap probably helpful for a guy to know that ‘Hey, I’m going to be the starter in Will’s absence’ for however long that is.’ On the other hand, we can go situationally and who are we playing and which guy will kind of give us the best chance to win.”
Despite any fatigue from having run the off the floor less than 24 hours earlier, the Nuggets hung with the Warriors’ vaunted offense in the first half. Denver’s scoring wasn’t nearly as fluid, but its defense led to offense by forcing 12 turnovers and playing pressure defense thatap been consistent throughout the first three games of the season. Craig, Harris and backup guard Morris all stuck with their respective men, greeting them well beyond the perimeter.
After shooting just 32 percent from the field in the first half, including missing 12 free throws and 14 3-pointers, defense was the only chance the Nuggets had at disrupting Curry, Thompson and Durant. The Warriors entered halftime up just 49-47 with none of their stars getting loose.
A first quarter so disjointed would bury some teams, and the Nuggets were lucky to be down just 25-17 after one. They worked for efficient shots from Millsap and Harris in particular but couldn’t convert.
Even a staggered lineup couldn’t jump-start an offense probably spent from the night before. Denver’s 13 percent shooting percentage was an eyesore, and the Nuggets were just 1-for-10 on 3-pointers. Jokic was aggressive in the paint and recognized the interior mismatch, one of the Warriors’ lone weaknesses. But it didn’t yield nearly the production of his record-setting triple-double from Saturday.
