Nuggets limit Warriors to season-low in points, win going away 96-81

Following a 102-85 win Friday night in Portland — a place where his team hadn’t won since 2013 — Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone spoke briefly about the task ahead Saturday in Oakland on a back-to-back against the defending champs.

“We’re going down there to win,” he said

Behind a stout defensive effort that limited the Warriors to just 81 points, the Nuggets did exactly that. Denver won going away 96-81 in what is their biggest victory of the season to this point.

It wasn’t pretty. Neither team shot above 50 percent. But Denver wasn’t interested in style points tonight.

After the Nuggets held the Warriors to 41 first-half points, Denver prepared themselves for the inevitable Golden State third-quarter push. The Warriors are the league’s best third-quarter team and on average outscore their opponent by 5.9 points per game in the 12 minutes following the halftime intermission.

Denver held steady.

After Nikola Jokic caught Draymond Green with an inadvertent elbow in the middle of the fourth quarter, the game intensified again. For a moment, Green had that look in his eye and the Warriors looked like they were about to rally. But a Trey Lyles turnaround 16-footer at the 5:34 mark of the quarter gave the Nuggets a much-needed bucket.

A few minutes later with Denver desperately needing another basket, Jokic corraled an offensive rebound and finished over Green – the reigning defensive player of the year.

Gary Harris‘ dagger on Denver’s next possession but the Nuggets up 17. Warriors coach Steve Kerr emptier his bench a few moments later.

Denver held Golden State to a season-low in points. The Warriors shot just 38.6 percent from the field and converted on just three of their 27 three-point attempts.

Harris scored a team-high 19 points. Jokic played 37 minutes for the second consecutive night and chipped in 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Trey Lyles had another outstanding offensive outing and scored 15 points off the bench.

The Nuggets also outrebounded the Warriors 45-38.

Tonight’s win but a bow on perhaps the greatest two-game road trip in Nuggets’ history. Just like they hadn’t won in Portland since 2013, Denver’s last win in Golden State came in 2014.

The Nuggets return home for a matchup against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.