Season openers are often weird.
The Denver Nuggets lost their first game of the season to the Golden State Warriors in a late night overtime affair. Stephen Curry caught fire late in the game and had 42 points, simply an incredible display of shooting and control from him in a moment the Warriors needed him to take over. Christian Braun needed to be better cutting off his shooting angles overall, but it’s a tough cover for everyone in the NBA.
On the other end, Nuggets MVP candidate Nikola Jokic was…pretty bad by his standards. He had a shot to win the game at the end of regulation and plenty of opportunities to impact the result as a perimeter shooter. Unfortunately, a 2-of-13 performance on mostly open three-pointers hurt Denver’s chances, ruining what should’ve been a special night for Aaron Gordon.
AG’s shooting display
For a while, the Warriors fans were confused about Aaron Gordon shooting like Curry. He made not one, not two, but his first EIGHT three-pointers in a row last night. As the Warriors kept daring him to make jumpers, Gordon happily obliged, scoring 25 points in the first half on 7-of-8 from the field and 7-of-7 from three. Simply incredible.
Aaron Gordon became the 6th player in NBA history to score 50 or more points in a season opener tonight!
He is the 1st Denver player to complete this feat 🤯 pic.twitter.com/NLM6iLFFhM
— NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2025
The Nuggets know they have to manage Gordon’s health throughout the season, but it’s going to be difficult if he keeps shooting like that. Head coach David Adelman will want him to play at every opportunity if he’s available to do so.
Aaron Gordon just had the most efficient 50-point game in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/x2J11C6Z3Y
— Real Sports (@realapp) October 24, 2025
Murray good, Jokic bad
After a strong training camp and preseason, Jamal Murray showed up in the first game ready to go. He had 12 points, seven assists, and three steals in roughly his first 13 minutes in play time. The defensive energy was high, as was the floor general nature of his game. He staggered with the second unit in both halves and made great decisions (mostly), finishing with 25 points and 10 assists on 11-of-20 from the field.
Jokic, on the other hand, did not have the same level of energy and verve. He started off well but seemingly grew tired relatively quickly, failing to attack the paint at opportune times and impose his will against a smaller Warriors front line. The final stat line of 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists doesn’t do justice how often Jokic settled for bad possessions and jumpers. The 8-of-23 shooting is a rarity for him in a regular season context, especially against a Warriors team he often performs well against.
Is it cause for concern? I doubt it. The Nuggets may need Murray to carry things for a bit as Jokic plays his way back into the swing of things though. It’s a long season.
First Impressions from new guys
This was the first regular season game for Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, and Jonas Valanciunas in a Nuggets uniform.
The learning curve with the Nuggets starting unit looked like it was hitting Johnson hard. He struggled to find his spots or shoot efficiently against a good Warriors squad. Five points on 2-of-8 from the field, three rebounds, and two assists isn’t good enough. A minus-17 in his 32 minutes is a good representation of how far he still has to go.
Off the bench, all three of Hardaway, Brown, and Valanciunas had their moments. Hardaway got up shots and settled Denver’s offense down on occasion with 10 points in 22 minutes. Brown stuffed the stat sheet with all-around contributions on both ends of the floor, making good hustle plays throughout. Valanciunas had eight points, three rebounds, and two assists in 12 minutes. The Nuggets were plus-4 in the non-Jokic minutes, which was a good sign.
Overall, Denver got what it needed from the bench. They will need more from Johnson going forward.
So, is the season over? Not in the slightest. Yes, the stakes are higher than ever, but that doesn’t mean they have to always in road games against good teams.
But to lose a game they were leading down the stretch when Gordon was as good as he was is tough. It’s not a “good” loss by any stretch of the word. The Nuggets let one get away here because Jokic and the starters weren’t good enough overall.
It’s a learning opportunity though. The Nuggets will have their chance to rectify things against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night. Ball Arena will be loud, and fans will expect a bounce back of sorts.
Hopefully, the Nuggets provide fans an excellent reason to cheer this weekend.