Warriors sleepwalk through 114-105 loss to shorthanded Nuggets

Bad turnovers, missed free throws, bad defense and a bad outcome. It’s like the Warriors never made the Jimmy Butler trade at all!

The Denver Nuggets played Monday night without MVP Nikola Jokic, star guard Jamal Murray, and shooting guard Christian Braun. The Golden State Warriors appeared to adjust their effort accordingly.

The Warriors went back to their old, pre-Jimmy Butler trade habits in a St. Patrick’s Day contest with the Nuggets where both teams played like they down a few Irish Car Bombs before taking the court. Each team had 20 turnovers and combined to commit 45 fouls, but the Nuggets were tougher, passed better, rebounded better and ultimately won their ninth straight game against the Dubs, while the Warriors saw their seven-game winning streak snapped.

The pride of Archbishop Mitty, Aaron Gordon, dominated the paint with Jokic out, scoring 38 points, while shooting 4-for-6 from distance. Russell Westbrook, longtime Warriors rival on multiple teams, had his 203rd career triple-double, with 12 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists. He almost had a quadruple-double, but the Warriors only managed to force seven turnovers.

Peyton Watson blocked four shots. Michael Porter, Jr. had 21 points and 10 rebounds, truly sticking it to the woke Bay Area. Vlatko Cancar collected eight rebounds off the bench. Someone named Spencer Jones was +3 in 19 minutes playing in his 15th NBA game.

The Warriors fell into all of their worst habits. They turned the ball over 15 times in the first three quarters, often throwing the ball away right after stealing the ball from the Nuggets. The Warriors couldn’t make their free throws, going 15-for-27 from the foul line. They settled for bad three-pointers, going 5-for-25 in the first three quarters and 8-for-33 overall. The team seemed baffled by backdoor cuts and passes thrown over the top to Gordon in the post.

How did the Warriors turn things around in the fourth quarter? Jimmy Butler basketball. In the first 46 seconds, Butler drew a foul, saved a loose ball and got fouled again, then got a hustle rebound of his own missed free throw.

Jonathan Kuminga, wearing a Butler-style headband, forced a jump ball with a tie-up. The Warriors got into the bonus with two-thirds of the quarter remaining. Draymond Green made a driving layup and followed it up with a steal and a dunk. Four more free throws completed an 8-0 run and got the Warriors within three points.

Down the stretch, the Warriors got close, but kept playing sloppy. The Warriors forced a miss, and Green threw a wild pass back to the Nuggets. Gary Payton cut the lead to six, Green got another steal, and Curry threw an ill-advised lob pass out of bounds. Westbrook was pressured into airballing a three, and Aaron Gordon got his fifth offensive rebound and his 38th point.

Payton had another stellar game, making his first six shots from the floor and finishing with 18 points and three steals. Kuminga was the only Warrior with a positive plus-minus, putting up a +6 in 28 minutes. Green finished with five blocked shots and three steals.

Kerr decided early that this game was not for rookie Quentin Post, benching the “Holland Funnel” for the entire second half. But ultimately, the team got the game close enough for Curry to take over and win it — and he just didn’t have it Monday night. In the second half, Curry shot 1-for-7, commited two fouls, and turned the ball over five times. Despite the lackadaisical effort and Gordon and Westbrook’s heroics, this was one accurate three-pointer and two fewer one-handed Curry turnovers from a winnable game. It happens.

Either Nuggets head coach Michael Malone simply outcoaches Steve Kerr, Gordon is a terrible matchup, or the Warriors have a tendency to play down to the level of their opponents. Sometimes, like in Orlando, the opponent is young and sloppy enough that the team can overcome a slow start. But the veteran Nuggets, thanks primarily to Westbrook and Gordon, never faltered even when the Warriors got the game close down the stretch.

It’s a tough loss, given the opportunity and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ loss against the Indiana Pacers. But the Warriors don’t have much time to dwell on it. Tomorrow the rival veteran point guard they’re facing is Damian Lillard, and the athletic rebound machine is Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the Dubs want to keep the Jimmy Buckets magic going, they’ll need to bring the effort — and maybe just throw a few boring, two-handed chest passes on fast breaks.