Golden State Warriors (1-3) beat Denver Nuggets (1-2) 134-114 on the road on Monday, October 26. The final margin was 20 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Nuggets struck first, taking the opening quarter 32-28 and a 4-point lead after one. The Warriors moved in front with a 32-24 second quarter, carrying a 4-point lead into halftime.
The Warriors won the third 40-28 to create some separation, taking a 16-point lead into the fourth. The Warriors took the fourth 34-30; the Warriors finished the job for a 134-114 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Warriors grabbed 37.1% of their own misses, while the Nuggets recovered 23.8%. The Warriors got more from their shots, finishing at 67.1% effective field-goal shooting compared with 56% for the Nuggets. The second chances kept adding up.
The Nuggets did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 11.6 against 17.3. The Warriors made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 97 possessions per team, the Warriors produced 138.6 points per 100 possessions to 117.9 for the Nuggets.
The Warriors' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 45-33.
Who stood out
Yaxel Lendeborg was the game's biggest individual force for GSW: 31 pts, 12 reb, 6 ast on 9-19 shooting. His Game Score of 27.2 led everyone. His team was +27 with him on the floor.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 19 pts, 7 reb, 11 ast, 3 blk on 8-18 shooting, good for a 21.5 Game Score.
Nikola Jokic (19 pts, 7 reb, 11 ast) and Yaxel Lendeborg (31 pts, 12 reb, 6 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Warriors entered with about a 18% chance.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Denver Nuggets lead 4-3.
The Warriors are now 1-3, and the Nuggets are 1-2. The Warriors last five before this game: W-L-L-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.