Stephen Curry needed only eight field-goal attempts to score 24 points Monday night in Denver. He made all eight, including three 3-pointers, and converted five free throws. A line that clean usually turns a basketball game into a solo exhibition.
Golden State’s 134-114 victory over the Nuggets, its first win of the season, resisted that treatment. Curry’s shooting was flawless, especially after halftime, but the Warriors did not need him to haul them out of trouble possession by possession. The offense finally had enough contributors that its returning star could amplify the attack instead of serving as its emergency generator.
The opening quarter supplied an early example. With 11:05 left, Curry assisted Brandin Podziemski on a 25-foot 3-pointer. Less than a minute later, Curry set up Podziemski for a running dunk. Podziemski finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, shot 7 for 14 and committed no turnovers. His plus-33 was the best mark in the game.
That connection was a small version of Golden State’s larger success. The Warriors made 22 3-pointers, shot 54.1% overall and recorded 31 assists. Gui Santos scored 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting without a turnover.
Al Horford added 11 points while making all three of his attempts from behind the arc. The ball had somewhere to go besides Curry’s hands, and several players made sure the possession was worth keeping.
Curry’s eruption came after the break, but it was still attached to the team’s work. He opened the third quarter with a driving layup, then hit a 27-footer at 10:48. Later in the period came a 22-foot step-back jumper, a 5-foot basket and another 27-footer at 4:30.
Golden State scored 40 points in the quarter and entered the fourth ahead 100-84 after leading 60-56 at halftime.
Only three of Curry’s 24 points came before halftime, and his full night required just 26:34. That pairing is the point. A perfect shooting night does not automatically require a superstar to consume every possession when Podziemski is creating, Santos is finishing and Horford is making his outside shots.
Curry, Podziemski and Draymond Green returned after missing Saturday’s game in Phoenix, restoring familiar organizers to the lineup. The win still belonged to a larger group.
Yaxel Lendeborg supplied the game’s other major scoring performance through a completely different route. The rookie finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists while making only one of eight 3-point attempts. He went 8 for 11 inside the arc and 12 for 13 at the line, with four offensive rebounds helping him keep possessions alive.