Game Preview: Warriors at Nuggets – 2/2/23

DIFFICULT CHALLENGE TO COMPLETE THE JOURNEY
After sharing the first two games of their road trip, the Warriors will wrap it up Thursday with a visit to Mile High City. The Dubs went 5-5 playing at the back of a back-to-back, most recently winning at Cleveland with an extremely shorthanded roster last month. They’ll be looking to repeat that magic against a Nuggets team that holds the second-best record in the NBA. It will be the second of four Golden State-Denver matchups this season, as the Nuggets won the first, 128-123, despite the Dubs making a furious second-half comeback attempt in October.

Warriors at Nuggets
Thursday February 2 | Kick off: 6 p.m.
WATCH: NBC Sports Bay Area (local); League Pass (non-local)
LISTEN: 95.7 The Game, Warriors Mobile App and Warriors Radio Network

LAST TIME OUT
The Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Warriors 119-114 on Wednesday night. Stephen Curry scored a team-high 29 points and Draymond Green recorded a double-double, tallying 10 points and 12 rebounds. » Complete recap of the game

Highlights Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota TimberwolvesGSWDEN26-2535-167th at West1st at WestPTS: 118.0 (3rd)PTS: 116.6 (6th)REB: 44.4 (10th)REB: 42.8 (17th)AST: 29.5 (1st)AST: 28.6 (2nd) )

PREVIOUS GAME BEGINNERS
GSW: Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green
DEN: Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic

INJURY NOTES AND LIST
GSW: Andre Iguodala (right hip pain) is out. Team Notes
DEN: Collin Gillespie (fractured right leg) and Jack White (sprained left adductor) are out. Aaron Gordon (sprained left ankle) is questionable. Team Notes

BALANCED EFFORT
Seven Warriors scored in double digits on Wednesday, including the team’s five starters. It was only the fourth game of the season that the entire starting lineup recorded more than 10 points. Stephen Curry was the only Warrior to score more than 18 points in the game, recording a team-best 29 points. Jordan Poole has added 18 points and has now scored at least 15 points in 17 of his last 18 games. Andrew Wiggins (16 points), Klay Thompson (14 points) and Draymond Green (10 points) completed the starting five, while Jonathan Kuminga and Kevon Looney both added 10 points off the bench.

GSWDENPTS: Curry (29.7)PTS: Jokic (25.1)REB: Looney (8.6)REB: Jokic (11.1)AST: D. Green (6.8)AST: Jokic (10.0)

DENVER SCOUTING REPORT
The Nuggets are atop the Western Conference with a 35-16 record, and Denver has been especially dangerous at home this season with a season-high 23 home-court wins. At the center, literally, of Denver’s success this season is Nikola Jokic. The two-time reigning NBA MVP averages a triple-double on the season, and he leads the NBA with 16 of those triple-doubles on the season, with Denver winning every one of those games this season, including Game 21. October at Chase. Center in which he had 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Jokic is 16th in the league in points (25.1 ppg), second in assists (10.0 apg) and sixth in rebounds (11.1 rpg). Jokic leads the most efficient offense in the NBA (117.4 points per 100 possessions) and he has been helped this season by point guard Jamal Murray. After missing all of last season with a knee injury, Murray is back and looking to be in great shape. He’s scored at least 16 points in 13 straight games, and Denver is 11-1 this season while scoring at least 25 points. Aaron Gordon’s athletic ability complements Jokic and Murray’s play, and Michael Porter is shooting over 40 percent from 3-pointers. Denver’s mix of veterans and youngsters has them averaging seven players in double digits in scoring, so the Dubs will certainly have their hands full in the finale of a three-game, four-day road trip.