Nuggets' Nikola Jokic hits game-winner near halfcourt to beat Warriors

Anthony Valmoria
Jan 5 2024

Nikola Jokic drilled a 39-foot game-winner as time expired to lead his Denver Nuggets to a 130-127 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.

Trailing by 18 points with 6:51 to go, the Nuggets unleashed a 25-4 run that included Jokic’ game-winning three at the buzzer to steal the game on the road in a battle between the last two NBA champions. 

Jokic ended his magical night just one rebound shy of a triple-double, tallying 34 points, 10 assists and 9 boards.

More impressively, the Joker has missed just five shots in his last four games, shooting 39-of-44 from the field over that stretch. He was 13-of-16 tonight vs. Golden State, an absurd 81% from the field. 

Denver has dominated the season series against Golden State with three wins, and these teams will face off one more time on Feb. 25 at Chase Center.

Stephen Curry continued his All-Star season for the Warriors, finishing with a 30-point, 6-assist, 4-rebound performance. With that said, he committed a crucial turnover down the stretch that led to Jokic's game-winner.

Golden State certainly would've loved to get a signature win over a team of Denver’s caliber, as they are trying to turn their season around. 

The Warriors, who have yet to find their rhythm and play consistent basketball, have needed to dig deep in a season plagued by injuries, Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension and sporadic shooting. Throughout the team's struggles, head coach Steve Kerr has been trying to figure out the team’s proper rotation and get the squad back on track. They are now 16-18, which is the West's fifth-worst record.

As for the Nuggets, this win moves them to 25-11, putting them just .5 games behind the West-leading Minnesota Timberwolves.