Getty Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
A strong first half wasn’t enough to get the job done for the Golden State Warriors, as they lost their second game in a row on February 2. The Denver Nuggets dominated in the second half, picking up a 134-117 victory over Golden State. Jamal Murray absolutely dominated the Warriors, but after the game, he sent a message on Stephen Curry and his elite movement.
“Just how much he moves, especially when he passes it,” Murray said via NBA.com. “He relocates to the corner with those rocket screens. We call them rocket screens. And those guys are looking, especially when Draymond [Green] is out there, they’re looking for that. It’s a cool and quick way to get threes. And even when you give up the ball, he’s still a threat. It’s just like when I hit [Nikola] Jok[ic], and I give up the ball, I’m still a threat. So, same thing.”
Murray propelled the Nuggets to victory over the Warriors. He ended the night with a game-high 33 points to go along with five rebounds and eight assists. The star point guard shot 12-of-23 from the field and 3-of-11 from behind the three-point line.
However, it was Murray’s third-quarter performance that really stole the show. He put up 17 points, two rebounds, and two assists on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor and 3-of-7 shooting from distance. Golden State only had 22 points in the period.
Jokic also put a beatdown on the Warriors, finishing with his 17th triple-double of the season (the Nuggets are undefeated in those games. He ended the game against Golden State with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 16 assists on 9-of-13 shooting overall.
For the Warriors, Curry led the way in the scoring column with 28 points, adding five boards and five assists as well. Jordan Poole backed him up with 22 points, followed by 17 from Jonathan Kuminga and 14 from Donte DiVincenzo off the bench.
Stephen Curry Sounds Off After Loss to Timberwolves
Golden State’s loss to the Nuggets was on the second night of a back-to-back. On the first night, they blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves. After the game, Curry mentioned a play made by Green and his own subsequent turnover, which led to Minnesota getting back into the game.
“Tough turnover after Draymond got a stop on Naz [Reid],” Curry told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I tried to throw one over the top to get the fastbreak started, they stole it, [and] Naz got a layup. It just got the crowd into it. We had a little miscommunication on the one I threw behind half-court, trying to run a play, but we gave them an extra possession. And then it’s just basketball from that point in terms of trying to stop the momentum and make a couple of shots, it’s a different story. Having the chance to win down the stretch, [I had a] shot that I can take and make. [I] just missed it. So it’s just, again, a reminder of the little things on the road that are required to win, and we didn’t do it.”
Warriors Urged to Trade James Wiseman
With the February 9 trade deadline closing in, it seems as though change is needed in Golden State. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report strongly believes the Warriors need to trade James Wiseman.
“Here’s the list of Golden State Warriors who are making more money than James Wiseman this season: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green.
“Here’s the list of Warriors who have contributed more win shares than Wiseman: Actually, for time constraints, I’ll spare you the full list and just let you know it’s 12 players long.
“This isn’t working. No matter how Golden State feels about his development, it clearly doesn’t trust him to contribute. And with Curry still in the heart of an all-time prime, the Warriors should be solely focused on right now. They have the top-level talent to compete for a title, but they have to fix the supporting cast. Sacrificing Wiseman’s potential for present production is a no-brainer,” Buckley wrote.