Instant Analysis: Warriors Crumble Against Nuggets Despite Jokic And Murray's Absence

The Golden State Warriors lost 114-105 against the Denver Nuggets. It was a surprising performance from the Nuggets, given they were missing their two best players - Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The Warriors came into the game with a seven-game win streak, which looked to be in jeopardy just minutes into the first quarter. And unfortunately for them, no late-game rally could save them in the end.

The Warriors were led by Jimmy Butler, who was their best performer on the night with points ( FG), rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Stephen Curry had an off-night, putting up 20 points (6-21 FG), three rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Gary Payton II came off the bench with some big numbers, delivering 18 points (8-10 FG), three rebounds, one assist, three steals, and one block.

As for the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon was the star on a night without Jokic and Murray, putting up 38 points (14-23 FG), six rebounds, and three assists. Michael Porter Jr. also had a strong game, delivering 21 points (7-18 FG), 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Russell Westbrook turned provider on the night, putting up 12 points (5-17 FG), 11 rebounds, 16 assists, three steals, and two blocks.

It was a brilliant game for the Nuggets, who did well to shut down the opposition despite facing adversity coming into the game without their star players. This game was a true test of their championship mettle, and they did a good job of delivering when the lights were on bright and the pressure was high.

With all that being said, here are three reasons why the Nuggets beat the Warriors:

Warriors Can't Convert From Deep

The Golden State Warriors shot just 7-30 from beyond the arc, converting just 23.3% of their attempts from deep. This was a rare shooting slump the Warriors experienced tonight, as they are usually the better team when shooting from deep on any given night. For whatever reason, the Warriors just couldn't get it going from the three-point line.

Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter of all time, but even he isn't exempt from a bad shooting night. He went 4-14 from distance, converting just 28.5% of his shots from his preferred zone. The rest of the Warriors went 4-19 from distance, with just a 21.0% conversion rate.

The Warriors rank 13th in the NBA for three-point percentage with 36.2%. While this is far from the best in the league, it does show that they are an average-to-good team shooting the ball on any given night. So Steve Kerr will hope that tonight was nothing more than an aberration.

Nuggets Clean Up On Offensive Glass

The Denver Nuggets grabbed 18 offensive rebounds tonight, seven more than the 11 offensive rebounds that the Golden State Warriors grabbed. Their activity at the offensive glass played a big part in their winning, as they were able to get a lot of second-chance points on the night.

The Warriors weren't able to compete with the size and grit of the Nuggets on the night, only grabbing 27 defensive rebounds when trying to guard against them. Aaron Gordon, who had a career night, was perhaps the biggest disruptor for them, as he made every rebound very difficult.

The Nuggets rank 11th in the NBA for offensive rebounds per game, averaging 11.3 per game. Meanwhile, the Warriors are actually above them, ranking fifth in the NBA for offensive rebounds with 12.7 per game. But tonight, it was the Nuggets that had things going on the offensive glass.

Russell Westbrook Playmaking Masterclass/Warriors Bench Saves The Day

Russell Westbrook didn't have the best offensive game from a scoring standpoint, putting up just 12 points on an inefficient 5-17 clip. However, he did manage to get a triple-double with 11 rebounds and 16 assists. His 16 dimes are a season-high for him, as Westbrook took on the playmaker role in Jokic's absence.

Westbrook showed glimpses of his former self with his playmaking, ensuring that all the players, especially Aaron Gordon, got clean and open looks. He was able to get the offense going early in the game, which gave the Nuggets the start they needed to go on and win the game tonight. 

Westbrook is having a strong season this year, averaging 13.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field, 34.2% from the three-point line, and 64.0% from the free-throw line. Games like tonight prove Westbrook's value to the Nuggets.

The Nuggets won't have much time to revel in their glory. They face the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night at 10 PM EST. The hope is that both Jokic and Murray can return ahead of that game, which many presume is a big reason the pair were given the night off to recover from their injuries.