The Denver Nuggets are a team full of layers at the moment.
On Thursday, they lost in the clutch to the Los Angeles Clippers after being up late in the fourth quarter.
On Friday, they eviscerated the Portland Trail Blazers by 54 points, having made up for Thursday’s wrong in a big way.
On Sunday, they reverted back to square one, losing in the clutch to the Golden State Warriors 128-117 without either Stephen Curry or Draymond Green based entirely on their own level of energy and focus.
Early on, the Nuggets went down by double digits due to the hot shooting from the Warriors. The Nuggets consistently gave them those shots though, allowing Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and others to spot up from behind the three-point line consistently for rhythm catch-and-shoot threes. This is the NBA. Teams make open threes, or are at least capable of doing so, if given consistent open looks.
Al Horford tonight vs Denver:
22 PTS / 7 AST / 3 STL / 2 BLK / 8-11 FG / 6-7 3PT
Still got it all at 39 years old! t.co/lcTDcsCZm5 pic.twitter.com/yK4gvo0B51
— DubsVault (@DubsVault) February 23, 2026
Denver fought back in the second and third quarter, even taking a lead late in the third by six points. Led by Nikola Jokic, who had a truly absurd 35 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, the Nuggets stabilized and found their energy and consistency to give themselves a fourth quarter lead. All they had to do was hold serve in the fourth and avoid giving up a big run.
Then, the Nuggets gave up a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter. They bricked open shots, turned the ball over, and made poor plays on the defensive end, leading to a deficit that was insurmountable.
Jokic didn’t make the same impact in the fourth quarter that he did in the second and third, but it wasn’t entirely his fault. The Nuggets, led by Jokic, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, had some backbreaking turnovers in important moments. The Warriors capitalized every time, turning what should’ve been a double-digit Nuggets win into a double-digit Nuggets loss in lightning quick fashion.
After that stretch that turned a tie game into a 10-point deficit, it would be one thing if the Nuggets buckled in defensively and clawed their way back in. They’ve shown the ability to do that before.
Not this time though. After two missed threes by De’Anthony Melton, Brandin Podziemski of all people scored on the next three possessions in a row. He was the primary initiator for the Warriors late in the game and either took a shot or set the table for someone else. Podz had a tip-in off after Murray forgot to box him out, then a three, and then several other made shots. He had 15 points in the fourth quarter alone, making tough shots even when Denver contested well. Sometimes, that happens, but only because the Nuggets allowed it to happen.
Brandin Podziemski was ELECTRIC in Q4
15 PTS (6-6 FGM) 8 REB 2 AST 2 3PM
Warriors win an exciting game at home! pic.twitter.com/FsgchbKZbN
— NBA (@NBA) February 22, 2026
It’s difficult to fully encapsulate how frustrating it is for Denver fans that the Nuggets keep putting themselves in these positions over and over again. The clutch foibles are consistent now. This isn’t just a blip on the radar but something that stems from an entire season of miscues in the biggest moments of games.
Of course, when the team takes care of business in the manner they did in Portland, a 50-point blowout is possible. The Nuggets are that talented that they can score a crooked number of points whenever they get stops and allow fast breaks to happen consistently. When they don’t turn the ball over themselves, great things can happen.
But the Nuggets weren’t ready for this game. It was a matinee start on a third game in four nights. Teams very rarely have success in that environment, but the Nuggets have already used up so many freebies throughout the year. They continue to lose games to worse teams through their own volitions and mistakes. Nothing that the Warriors did was surprising today. Without Draymond Green on the floor, they shot a ton of threes. Who could’ve possibly foreseen that happening? The top three-point shooting volume team in the entire NBA?
Now, the Nuggets return home after a three-game road trip that somehow became a failure despite a 54-point victory on Friday. Margin of victory means little if the close games are lost. Denver will face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday before flying to Oklahoma City for a one-game trip.
We will see if the Nuggets are ready to match up with the best teams in the NBA. If it’s anything like the last three games, Nuggets fans should hope for a quick blowout either direction.
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