In a thrilling finish, Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic hit a miraculous 40-foot buzzer-beater to clinch a 130-127 victory over the Golden State Warriors during Thursday’s NBA action.
With the game tied and only three seconds left, Jokic, initially the safety valve for the inbounds play, received the ball from Aaron Gordon. He dribbled past halfcourt and launched the winning shot over Kevon Looney from the right sideline, capping off a remarkable 25-4 run by the Nuggets.
“I think those shots are the easiest shots to take,” Jokic said. “You don’t have any other options. So actually, when I felt it, I thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to bank this.’ I just knew I was going to bank it.”
Jokic’s heroics were the highlight of his 34-point, 10-assist, and nine-rebound performance. He tied the game with a short jumper earlier, paving the way for his dramatic game-winner after Stephen Curry turned the ball over on Golden State’s final possession. Nuggets coach Michael Malone’s simple instruction to Jokic to take the shot paid off spectacularly.
“And he executed the play to perfection,” Malone said. “But great players make great plays. And Nikola catching the ball and making something happen behind that is just incredible.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors Updates
The victory marked the Nuggets’ 11th win in 13 games and extended their road winning streak to six. The loss was a blow to the Warriors, who have struggled with maintaining leads this season, and it hampered their efforts to reach a .500 record on their seven-game homestand. Aaron Gordon contributed 30 points for Denver, with Jamal Murray adding 25. Curry led the Warriors with 30 points, and Klay Thompson scored 24.
Despite being significantly behind in the third quarter, where Golden State outscored Denver 44-24, the Nuggets showed resilience. Jokic emphasized the team’s determination not to give up, even when facing a back-to-back game schedule.
“I think we just didn’t want to give up,” Jokic said. “We could easily have excuses just to lose the game or we have a back-to-back tomorrow … But the guys didn’t drop their hats. We were really aggressive.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors Updates
Coach Malone expressed pride in how his team responded to the challenge, especially in the hostile environment of the Warriors’ home court.
“When you get down to this team, it’s very easily drop your head in this building with that crowd,” Malone said. “And that’s probably the thing I was most pleased with tonight is that everybody – coaches, players, we just stayed the course even after that third quarter which they dominated.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors Updates
The Warriors were without Draymond Green, who has been suspended indefinitely, and recently announced that Gary Payton II will be out for an extended period due to a hamstring injury.
Looking forward, the Nuggets will host Orlando, while the Warriors will play against Detroit, both games scheduled for Friday night.
