ORLANDO, Fla. — It was supposed to be the perfect start. Instead, it became the kind of loss that lingers. The Denver Nuggets opened their season on the road against the Golden State Warriors — and for 47 minutes, it looked like a statement win in the making. Then Steph Curry happened.
With 28 seconds left in regulation, Curry drilled a game-tying three, sending the crowd into chaos and the game into overtime. From there, the Warriors outlasted the defending champs, 137–131, handing Denver an early dose of humility.
Nikola Jokić, ever the calm in the storm, posted his trademark triple-double — 21 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists — but his tone after the game was more reflective than frustrated.
“He doesn’t need a lot. He just needs one three to see go in,” Jokić said postgame. “He hit a big three and then a deep three to tie the game. The whole fourth quarter and overtime, he was really good.”
Curry, as if to remind the league who built the dynasty, erupted for 42 points — 21 of them coming in the final stretch. The Nuggets had no answer.
Jokić, meanwhile, struggled from long range, going just 2-for-13 from deep — an unusually poor night for a player who shot a career-high percentage from three last season. But if fans expected self-criticism, they didn’t get it.
“I’m happy with my shots,” Jokić said. “They just didn’t go in. Most of them felt good. Sometimes it’s like that. You can’t make them all.”
There was no panic, no finger-pointing — just the reigning MVP dissecting the loss with surgical calm. But behind that composure, Denver knows the truth: they let a winnable game slip away.
Still, there were silver linings — and one came in the form of Aaron Gordon, who erupted for a career-high 50 points, including 10-of-11 from beyond the arc. It was the kind of performance that could’ve defined the night… if Curry hadn’t stolen it.
Jokić, however, made sure to shine the spotlight back on his teammate.
“When someone scores 10 threes in a game, it’s easy to play with that guy,” he said with a grin. “That’s all I can say.”
The loss drops Denver to 0–1 — but no one in the locker room seems worried. The Nuggets know the grind of an 82-game season. For Jokić, it’s just another night, another game, another chance to tweak the details before things start to click.
Still, the message was clear — from Jokić’s tone to his eyes: this team isn’t chasing stats or headlines. They’re chasing rings.
Next up, a home opener against the Phoenix Suns — and a chance to erase the sting of what could’ve been a statement win in San Francisco.
For the Nuggets, the road back to dominance begins now. And if history’s any guide, Nikola Jokić will make sure it doesn’t take long.
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