Denver Nuggets outshines Golden State Warriors, 134-131 in riveting Overtime
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT PhilBoxing.com Sat, 18 Jan 2020
Denver’s Michael Porter, Jr. (1) just before he tied the game at 108-all with an acrobatic shot with eighty percent of the players in the paint. Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry cheers from the sideline. (courtesy of NBC Sports Bay Area)
1 Warriors Way, San Francisco
January 16, 2020
In boxing, a good offense is the best defense. The maxim has relevance in basketball.
A great offensive juggernaut scores and excites. Case in point, Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao.
A sound defensive shell anticipate action but bores. Case in point, Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
I could be wrong (or right), but in basketball, buckets win games.
A great defense amplifies ones own offensive threat (as in points after turnovers like blocks and steals).
Tonight, the Warriors young guns took the boxing adage to heart, was competitive on both boards and beyond the 3-point arc, played good enough to win but again fell short in their 21st game @ home and 43rd total this season.
The Warriors led for 3.75 quarters by as much as 19 points before the Nuggets clawed back into the game with a sizzling 40-point fourth quarter and survived a thrilling overtime to win 134-131.
Denver’s victory improved to 29-12 and prolonged the (now 9-34) Warriors’ losing streak to 10.
The Warriors have not won since their 4-win streak last Christmas week at home.
Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr., right, drives the ball against Warriors’ Eric Paschall (7)
Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr summarized tonight’s game and the team’s performance.
“I thought our guys were great tonight. They competed, they played really well together -- 36 assists and we moved the ball and fought back. When Denver came at us in the second half with multiple runs we kept fighting back. We just couldn’t quite get over the hump. Denver is a hell of a team and they deserve a lot of credit. We jumped them early, but just couldn’t hold them off. Proud of our guys effort as they continue to battle. Feel bad for them because I thought they played well enough to win and just couldn’t quite do it.”
Denver Nuggets-Golden State Warriors, 134-131. Video Highlights courtesy of the NBA by way of Philboxing.com
Last Thursday night at the Chase Center, the vaunted Denver Nuggets team were just a tad better than the Golden State Warriors in the clutch.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIOS TEAM NOTABLES:
· Golden State lost its 10th consecutive game (a season-long streak), falling to 6-15 at home this season... The Warriors last 10- game losing streak was in the 2001-02 season (March 9-24).
· Tonight marked the Warriors’ third game of the season decided in overtime (0-3 in those games)... Golden State has lost nine- straight overtime games (0-5 last season), their longest overtime-losing streak dating back to a 10-game overtime losing streak (10/13/79 to 3/15/81)...
· The teams combined 39 overtime points are the most in any overtime period in the NBA this season and the most since the Bucks and Trail Blazers combined for 39 on 3/8/14
· The Warriors and Nuggets season series stands at 1-0 in favor of Denver; the teams next meet on March 3 at Pepsi Center.
· Golden State made a season-high 20 three-point baskets (previous: 18 on 12/28 vs. DALLAS)...
· The Warriors are now 16-2 all-time in games they make 20-or-more threes (6-0 in such games last season), with the only other loss coming on 4/1/16 vs. BOSTON (109-106 defeat – 20 threes).
· The Warriors allowed their largest opponent-comeback of the season with the Nuggets overcoming a 19-point deficit (previous opponent-high comeback was 13 points on 12/13 at UTAH).
· Golden State allowed its 10th 40-point quarter by an opponent this season and the Warriors fell to 1-9 in games which they allow their opponent to score 40-or-more points in a single period this season (sole win came on 10/28 at NEW ORLEANS).
· The Warriors dished out 36 assists, one shy of their season-high mark (37 on 10/28 at NEW ORLEANS).
· The crowd tonight was the Warriors’ 364th consecutive sellout, the fourth-longest active streak in the NBA.
PLAYER NOTABLES
· Draymond Green recorded his 600th career block. Only Adonal Foyle (1,140), Joe Barry Carroll (837) and Erick Dampier (728) have more in franchise history.
· D’Angelo Russell dished out a season-high nine assists (previous: eight, done six times) to go along with his 19 points... He tallied a season-high-tying three steals (done twice).
· Jordan Poole posted 10 points and has scored in double figures in a career-best three consecutive games (scored 40 points in the last three games combined).
· Alec Burks made a career-high-tying four threes (sixth time) en route to a team-high 25 points, his 11th outing of 20-plus points this season.
· Damion Lee posted his sixth game of 20-or-more points (he had two games of 20-plus coming into the current season – one in 2017-18 and one in 2018-19).
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS QUOTES:
ERIC PASHCALL, FORWARD:
“They just didn’t give up. Like everybody says, the game of basketball is a game of runs and they just kept playing hard. They didn’t give up, they didn’t get down on themselves and that’s like any other NBA team. So, that’s the one thing I saw, is just they kept fighting. It was just a great game. I wish we came out with the win, but credit to them. I mean they are a great team, they play together. We knew it was still going to be a hard-fought game.”
DAMION LEE, GUARD:
“I mean 18 turnovers didn’t help and their shooters got going. Will (Barton) and Malik (Beasley) – they were knocking down big-time shots. Of course, we could have played better, but you also have to give them credit. They are a top team.”
GLENN ROBINSON III, FORWARD
ON THE STRUGGLES DURING THE FOURTH QUARTER:
“I think we just got to keep executing and doing the right things. They were able to get to us when we had the lead. We had great energy, great momentum for most of the game. We just have to continue to share the ball, continue to run our offense and continue to execute that so that we are able to get great looks on our end. It kind of amped up our pressure a little bit and we have to handle it better.”
DENVER NUGGETS QUOTES:
NUGGETS HEAD COACH MICHAEL MALONE
ON THE FOURTH QUARTER:
“I challenged our guys throughout the night. In the first quarter, it wasn’t where we needed to be from an aggression standpoint, from a work standpoint. I give these guys a lot of credit, they answered the call and answered the challenge. It wasn’t pretty but we had so many guys step up. I thought the second half defense was tremendous. Thirty six percent from the field for them. In overtime the defense wasn’t nearly as good. Will Barton was phenomenal, had seven threes and (we) played him as our point guard down the stretch and did a tremendous job of running the team, scoring and facilitating. Nikola Jokic is tremendous and does so many things for us on the floor. Then you have guys like Michael (Porter Jr.), Malik (Beasley) and Mason (Plumlee) who come off the bench and were great. How valuable were those minutes for Michael Porter. All the things we did wrong down the stretch were great learning opportunities and my father tells me all the time I’d much rather learn after a win than a loss. We will take it. We will learn and be better.”
NUGGETS GUARD WILL BARTON lll
ON THE COMEBACK WIN:
“Just a tough team win. You know give them (the Warriors) a lot of credit, they played well and they got after us and made shots. They kept making runs, but we stayed together and stayed with it. It was fun. Any time you can come out and win those type of games, it can’t be anything but fun.” ON HIS APPROACH KNOWING THREE STARTERS ARE INJURED:
“Yeah it changes. I just got to be more of a leader out there and try to play make and get everyone involved, while staying aggressive and get a score or two for the team.”
NUGGETS GUARD MALIK BEASLEY
ON HIS PERFORMANCE TONIGHT:
“Yeah, we came out a little flat, so we knew that our job was to come off the bench and provide energy and all of us did that. It wasn’t just me, we were all making great plays. Just concerned with making the right plays because its either going to go right or wrong and being able to help the team, help my teammates make the right plays helped. I wasn’t trying to force anything and help my teammates out as much as I could. It was as much fun as I have had all year. We stayed together and worked hard.”
NUGGETS CENTER NIKOLA JOKIC
ON TONIGHT’S WIN:
“It was a team effort, and everyone stepped up. Malik (Beasley), Will (Barton), Mason (Plumlee) had a couple put-backs, Mike (Michael Porter Jr.) was really aggressive. So, everybody stepped up.”
NUGGETS FORWARD MICHAEL PORTER JR.
ON PLAYING IN CRUNCH TIME:
“It was so fun and getting to play late in a game like that was real cool. It was just fun because we were battling back and everyone was playing hard. We all knew we were going to come back and it was a total team effort and we really had a balance tonight.”
ON HIS PERFORMANCE TONIGHT:
“Honestly for me at this stage, with this many talented guys, to put up that line is pretty special for me being a rookie and everything. I just felt good, my teammates were finding me in the right spots and it was all clicking tonight. Everybody stepped up and a lot of guys participated. I was just trying to play my part and play for the team. I was trying to make the right plays and help the team get the win.”
NUGGETS FORWARD/CENTER MASON PLUMLEE
ON TONIGHT’S GAME:
“It just feels like we got to the game a little late. Guys really came together in the second half and guys made plays. Will (Barton) made plays, Joker (Nikola Jokic) made his plays per usual and we were able to get the win tonight.”
