OAKLAND, Calif. – Friday marked the collision of one team on the ascent and one dynasty already on the mountaintop.
The Warriors pounded the upstart Nuggets 122-105, rebuffing Denver’s attempt at temporarily snatching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Nuggets’ offense stalled out, dropping their record to 43-22, while Golden State’s shifted into its most devastating form.
Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant combined for 65 points, eighteen more than the entire cast of Nuggets starters. Nikola Jokic led the starters with 16 and Malik Beasley paced the revamped second unit with 17. Their reserves were one of the few bright spots and outscored Golden State’s bench 58-23.