Warriors Secure First Win of the Season Against Nuggets

DENVER — The Golden State Warriors finally found their rhythm, led by an impressive performance from Stephen Curry and a standout game from Yaxel Lendeborg, as they defeated the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

Curry scored 24 points on just eight shots, while Lendeborg recorded a remarkable double-double with 31 points and 12 rebounds. Brandin Podziemski also played a crucial role in this 134-114 victory, helping the Warriors snap a seven-game losing streak in Denver.

This victory prevented the Warriors from having a start worse than their 2007-08 season, when they lost their first six games.

During the 33 minutes Podziemski spent on the court, the Warriors outscored the Nuggets by 33 points, a testament to his impact on the game.

Lendeborg showed significant assertiveness, especially in the second half, registering a plus-27 in his 31 minutes of play. However, his shooting from three-point range was off, making only 1 of 8 attempts.

Despite the cold shooting, the 6-foot-9 rookie effectively contributed by drawing 13 fouls and converting 12 of those attempts at the line. Lendeborg also grabbed a game-high 12 boards, including four offensive rebounds that helped the Warriors achieve 23 second-chance points.

He capped off his performance with a highlight dunk in transition late in the game, catching a lob from De’Anthony Melton, which was met with enthusiastic cheers.

Curry left the game for the last time with 8:04 remaining, while the Warriors held an 111-91 lead.

Georges Niang, who had struggled early in the season, hit back-to-back three-pointers to give the Warriors an early lead in the second quarter, and they maintained control from there. Although they trailed by as many as eight in the first quarter, they never fell behind again after the 27:40 mark.

The Warriors went into halftime with a four-point lead, even with Curry only attempting a single shot, which was a three-pointer that counted after a previous three-point play was ruled out.

It wasn’t until both Curry and Lendeborg found their scoring touch simultaneously that the game shifted in Golden State’s favor. Curry scored 17 points in the second half, while Lendeborg added another 12, allowing the Warriors to extend their narrow lead to 100-84 by the end of the third quarter.

This time, it was the supporting cast that set the table for Curry to deliver the final blow as the game progressed into the closing stages.