Warriors Notebook: 3 thoughts from the Warriors’ 128-123 loss vs. Nuggets on Friday

After falling down by as many as 20 points, the Golden State Warriors mounted a furious comeback in the second half against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. However, it wasn’t enough. 

Despite a wild ending that included the Warriors cutting the Nuggets’ lead all the way down to one point with under 15 seconds remaining, Steph Curry and company couldn’t complete the comeback.

After Jordan Poole picked off an errant pass from Bones Hyland, Poole quickly scored to shave Denver’s lead down to a point. Yet, the Nuggets responded when Jokic found an open Bruce Brown with a full-court pass. Klay Thompson couldn’t answer on the other side, missing the potential game-tying shot.

Following a pair of free throws from Jokic, the Nuggets handed the Warriors their first loss of the 2022-23 campaign, 128-123.

Curry led all scorers with 34 points on 10-of-22 shooting from the field, with five triples, five rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. Jokic notched a triple-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists against the Warriors.

Following Golden State’s first loss of the season, here are three thoughts from the notebook on Friday night.

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Despite foul trouble, Draymond Green looked in midseason form on Friday night against the Nuggets.

Green sparked the Warriors throughout the evening, tallying 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor with a team-high nine assists,  three boards and only one turnover. Green also knocked down a key triple on three attempts from long distance.

Green added two blocks and two steals in 27 minutes. When he had to leave the floor, Golden State’s defense seemed to leak.

Via @JoeVirayNBA on Twitter:

Although the season is different, the third quarter still belongs to the Warriors. After a slow start against the Nuggets that buried the Warriors in a 20-point hole, the third quarter gave Golden State a chance to get back into the game.

Trailing by 18 at the halftime buzzer, the Warriors used their third-quarter magic to jumpstart a comeback run. Along with playing tough defense, Draymond Green served as a playmaker in the third quarter, scoring seven points and dishing out three assists in the third quarter alone.

Curry added 10 points while Klay Thompson hit a pair of triples to cut Denver’s lead to only 10 before the start of the fourth quarter.

Jordan Poole registered a quiet performance off the bench against the Nuggets on Friday. The breakout 23-year-old guard tallied only seven points on 2-of-5 shooting from the field with seven assists and a single rebound. Poole led the second unit with four turnovers in 27 minutes.

Despite his uncharacteristic night, Poole came through with a clutch steal and bucket to cut Denver’s lead to two points with 14 seconds remaining.

Golden State’s entire second unit struggled to make an impact against the Nuggets. James Wiseman was the only member to record double-figures in scoring off the bench. JaMychal Green. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Donte DiVincenzo combined for a total of 15 points.