No Curry, No Problem: Denver Nuggets Steamroll Warriors at Home 129-104

The air in Ball Arena carried the familiar electric crackle of a big game night, but something was missing. Not from the Denver Nuggets but from the Warriors. The pre-game buzz felt a little hollow, the anticipation a bit muted. That’s because the main act, the magician himself, Stephen Curry, was nowhere to be seen, sidelined by a nagging illness. For the visiting Golden State Warriors, it was like showing up to a gunfight without your sharpest shooter. The Denver Nuggets, on the other hand, just smelled blood in the water.

In a performance that was less a basketball game and more a statement of intent, the Denver Nuggets dismantled the Curry-less Warriors 129-104. The final score doesn’t even do justice to the sheer dominance on display. This was a clinical, cold-blooded execution from a team that looks every bit the reigning champion, a team that refuses to lose on its home court, extending its perfect home record to 5-0.

Jokic Conducts a Masterpiece, Even by His Standards

At the heart of it all, as always, was Nikola Jokic. The man is less a basketball player and more a force of nature, a basketball supercomputer with the touch of a poet. He toyed with the Warriors’ defense, bending it to his will with a quiet, almost casual brutality. He finished the night with 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists, flirting so dangerously close to a triple-double that it felt like he simply decided against it out of mercy.

Watching Jokic operate is a lesson in efficiency and control. He never seems rushed, never forced. He’s the eye of the hurricane, a calm center around which the beautiful chaos of the Nuggets’ offense swirls. He directed traffic, found cutters with impossible no-look passes, and when the defense dared to give him an inch, he took a mile, scoring with a soft touch that belies his massive frame. It was another day at the office for the Joker, but his office is a place where basketball genius is the company policy.

The Blue Arrow Finds His Mark

While Jokic was the conductor, Jamal Murray was the lead soloist, playing with a fire that ignited the entire arena. The “Blue Arrow” was lethal, pouring in 23 points and dishing out 8 assists of his own. There was a moment in the second quarter when the Warriors, to their credit, clawed their way back. With Jokic on the bench, they reeled off an 11-0 run, quieting the home crowd and pulling within a single point at 32-31. You could feel a flicker of hope on the Golden State bench.

Then Jamal Murray extinguished it.

Coming out of a timeout, Murray drilled back-to-back three-pointers with a swagger that screamed, “Not in our house.” It was the kind of momentum-killing, soul-crushing sequence that champions deliver. Those two shots sparked a monstrous 34-18 run for the Denver Nuggets to close the half, effectively ending the game before the third quarter even began. By halftime, the Nuggets were up 66-49, and the Warriors looked like they were ready to get on the plane home.

A Total Team Victory for the Denver Nuggets

This wasn’t just the Jokic and Murray show, though. This was a testament to the depth and chemistry that make the Denver Nuggets so formidable. Aaron Gordon was a powerhouse, adding 18 points and playing with a relentless energy that the Warriors simply couldn’t match. Off the bench, the second unit, a point of concern in seasons past, was spectacular. Jonas Valanciunas provided a huge spark with 16 points, and Christian Braun was his usual whirlwind of hustle, grabbing 7 rebounds and adding 12 points.

Acting head coach David Adelman put it perfectly after the game: “The group that came in when they went on the 10-0 run to start the second quarter, that group was really incredible. They were the reason why we won the game.” He’s right. The Nuggets’ ability to not just survive but thrive during the non-Jokic minutes is what separates them from the pretenders.

For the Warriors, it was a rough night. Draymond Green, back in the lineup, fought hard for his 17 points, but it was a lonely battle. Without Curry’s gravity warping the court, Golden State’s offense looked pedestrian and predictable. They fell to 5-5, and a concerning 1-5 on the road. Coach Steve Kerr could only offer a hopeful update on his superstar, saying Steph was “feeling a little better” and might return Sunday. They’ll need him.

This win kept the Nuggets’ hopes alive in the inaugural NBA Cup, a crucial response after an early tournament loss. But more than that, it was a message to the rest of the league. Even when the opponent is a dynasty, even when the marquee name is on the other side, the road to the top of the West still runs through the Mile High City. And the Denver Nuggets are guarding their turf with a vengeance.