By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic delivered his 21st triple-double of the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season, but he wasn’t enough to prevent the Denver Nuggets from falling 128-117 to the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Serbian superstar nearly secured the triple-double before halftime. He finished the contest with a staggering 35 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and two blocks in 36 minutes of action. Backup big man Jonas Valanciunas contributed six points and three rebounds in his 12 minutes on the floor.
The loss marks a troubling trend for Denver, which has now dropped six of its last nine games, falling to a 36-22 record. A visibly frustrated Jokic addressed the team’s slump in a postgame interview, stating, “I’m definitely concerned because we are losing games and not creating open looks. We need to change that and figure out how to get better.”
Golden State, now 30-27, was led by a late-game surge from Brandin Podziemski, who scored 12 of his 18 points in the final five minutes. The Warriors secured the win despite a late scratch from Latvian Kristaps Porzingis, who missed the game due to general illness, despite having practiced regularly the past two days and initially looking to increase his playing minutes compared to his Warriors debut. Meanwhile, Dutch reserve Quinten Post provided a spark with seven rebounds and four assists, while fellow Dutch import Malevy Leons was recently assigned to the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Resuming action on Wednesday, the Nuggets host the Boston Celtics in Ball Arena, while the Warriors face the New Orleans Pelicans in Smoothie King Center on Tuesday and the Memphis Grizzlies in FedExForum on Wednesday.