The Warriors have certainly beaten good teams this season. They’ve even posted some blowout wins, too.
But on Tuesday, Golden State did something that they had not done the entire 2018-19 season: They blew out a top contender to their crown.
The Warriors 142-111 win over the Nuggets was a complete evisceration, highlighted by a near-perfect (and NBA record) 51-point first quarter. It was the kind of lopsided victory that was once commonplace for the “lightyears ahead” Dubs, but it came as a bit of a surprise on Tuesday.
But it was no accident. It was a message — sent consciously or not — to the rest of the NBA:
Don’t look at the worst-than-expected record and disjointed play and think that the Warriors are vulnerable.