The Denver Nuggets held on by a thread and earned a massive victory over the Golden State Warriors tonight, winning 114-105 while shorthanded.

Denver effectively led wire to wire in a gutsy performance without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, or Christian Braun. All three popped up on the injury report and ultimately sat out, leaving Denver in a vulnerable spot without a bunch of offensive creation.

Fortunately, Aaron Gordon returned, and both Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr. also came to play.

Gordon led the way with 38 points, shooting 14-of-23 from the field, 4-of-6 from three-point range, and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. His shotmaking was on full display in all quarters tonight, playing a productive and consistent game throughout. The Warriors initially dared him to shoot, but even as they pressed up and understood how dynamic he was playing, Gordon simply couldn’t be stopped. Even while he racked up a few turnovers, Gordon returned to the floor at the perfect time for Denver.

Russell Westbrook racked up a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists. Westbrook wasn’t efficient, but on a night when he played 42 minutes and faced extensive pressure from the Warriors defense, he held his own and set the table for teammates consistently. Westbrook also added three steals and two blocks, hustling his way to a win for the Nuggets in a key moment. He also hit some very important shots in the fourth quarter.

Michael Porter Jr. was great throughout the game as well. He took a hard fall on his back late in the first quarter, but Porter still managed to play 41 minutes and make important plays with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Porter was +20 tonight in his 41 minutes, and the Nuggets played great basketball with him on the floor. He was someone they could trust with tough shots, big rebounds, and he even had some impressive passes to go with it.

Beyond those three, Peyton Watson deserves the most credit. He spent the entire game chasing around Stephen Curry, and after a subpar performance against the Washington Wizards, Watson delivered. Curry had 20 points on 6-of-21 from the field and 4-of-14 from three to go with seven assists and seven turnovers. The Nuggets could live with that, and it was Watson making the majority of the closeouts and chase downs on the perimeter.

After that, it was a mix of performances that helped get Denver through the game. Hunter Tyson started and played 20 minutes. He was solid overall and made plays on both ends of the floor, including four offensive rebounds and two steals. In the middle, Spencer Jones showed he could make an impact. After playing just 44 minutes this season, Jones had 19 high effort and quality defense minutes, shooting 3-of-4 from the field by scoring around the rim on Westbrook dimes.

But to close the game, it was Vlatko Cancar stepping up and playing high IQ basketball next to Denver’s primary guys. It wasn’t perfect, but these were Vlatko’s first real minutes since November. The Nuggets reaped the benefits with good rebounding from Vlatko, smart passing, a putback layup in traffic, a big three-pointer, and just solid basketball.

It’s never easy to win without Nikola Jokic, but the Nuggets got it done against a Warriors team that was 11-1 since the All-Star break before tonight. The combination of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green is dangerous, but the Nuggets proved, without Jokic and Murray, that they are dangerous too.

Look what Losing to the Wizards does to this team

The last time the Nuggets lost to the Wizards, they followed it up with a 30-point blowout the next night against the Atlanta Hawks, turning the page and immediately playing great basketball.

Tonight, it was even more remarkable. Losing at the buzzer is never fun, especially at home. The Nuggets looked gassed, and clearly they were. Jokic, Murray, and Braun all sitting out emphasizes that. They’re actually hurt, and the Nuggets need to keep managing them as much as they can.

Still, playing games without your top two players and three of your top four scorers is never a recipe for success, but that led the rest of the roster to amp up the intensity. It was so clear from the beginning of this game how much harder the Nuggets were playing. They held the Warriors to just 22 first quarter points, partially due to Warriors incompetence but partially due to Denver’s hustle.

When the Nuggets hold teams to 25 points or fewer in the first quarter, they’re 10-0. Interestingly, that Atlanta game I discussed above? That was one of them.

Denver needs reminders about how to play hard. It’s not a perfect substitute for playing well and executing at a high level, but it gets them most of the way they want to go. Jokic and Murray weren’t exactly bringing consistent defensive intensity and execution before this game, so simply getting others in there that would amp things up was enough to give Denver a chance to win tonight.

When Denver got a chance, Westbrook, Gordon, and Porter helped take them home in impressive fashion.

Denver’s now 1-0 on this road trip. They rematch the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night on ESPN. How healthy and motivated the Nuggets will be is up for interpretation, but they started things off strong tonight. Just a few more wins will clinch a playoff spot and a top 4 seed soonafter. Denver has to keep balancing rest and wins. They threaded the needle tonight. Let’s see if they can do it again on Wednesday.

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