Maybe it was the tough travel schedule that had them arriving in Denver at 4 a.m. Or maybe it was the thin mountain air. Or maybe it was the rapidly improving Nuggets.
In any case, the Warriors ran out of energy late, surrendering a 12-point second half lead and taking a 115-108 loss at Pepsi Center.
Kevin Durant poured in 31 points to lead all scorers. Stephen Curry totaled 24 points, Klay Thompson 16 and Zaza Pachulia added 10.
The Warriors (41-12) left Colorado with their first losing road trip (1-2) of the season.
Durant’s line: 31 points (12-of-16 shooting from the floor, 0-of-2 from deep, 7-of-9 from the line), seven assists, six rebounds and two blocks.