DENVER — In a thrilling matchup on Tuesday night, Nikola Jokic delivered an impressive performance, scoring 38 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and securing five steals to guide the Denver Nuggets to a close 119-115 triumph over the Golden State Warriors.

Jokic narrowly missed out on achieving his ninth triple-double of the season, falling just four assists short of the milestone. This strong showing allowed him to remain tied with Magic Johnson for the third-highest number of triple-doubles in NBA history, totaling 138.

Michael Porter Jr. contributed significantly with 22 points, while Aaron Gordon had a solid outing as well, recording 15 points along with nine rebounds for the Nuggets.

For Golden State, the defeat marked their fifth consecutive loss after a strong start to the season with a record of 12-3. This disappointing outcome means the Warriors will next head to Houston to participate in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 24 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds, but struggled with his shooting, hitting only 4 of 15 three-point attempts. Jonathan Kuminga also made a noteworthy contribution with 19 points.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Warriors were down 90-85 but ignited a remarkable 19-4 run, taking a commanding 104-94 lead. However, the Nuggets fought back, regaining the lead when Gordon sank a pair of crucial free throws with just 48 seconds left on the clock.

The Warriors played without their defensive mainstay Draymond Green, who was out due to tightness in his left calf.

In terms of the bigger picture, this victory extended the Nuggets’ winning streak against the Warriors in the regular season to eight games, reflecting their dominance with 11 victories in the last 12 encounters.

A highlight moment of the game came when Jamal Murray made a critical steal with just 20 seconds remaining, which thwarted the Warriors’ chance to tie or take the lead. This play eventually led to Jokic sealing the game with two made free throws.

An interesting stat to note is that eight of the last ten matchups between these two teams have been decided by six points or fewer, highlighting the close nature of their competition.

Looking ahead, the Nuggets will be in action again on Thursday night against the Cavaliers, while the Warriors will face off against the Rockets at home the same evening.