Nuggets hand Warriors their third loss of season

Charlotte Hornets vs Golden State Warriors - Full Game Highlights | Jan 4, 2016 | NBA 2015-16 Season

DENVER -- Stephen Curry let out long sighs after a game the Warriors felt they should have won even without Draymond Green.

Curry had scored 38 points, 20 of which came in a fourth-quarter comeback attempt that ultimately failed in a 112-110 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.

The Nuggets prevailed despite Curry catching fire late and Klay Thompson getting a potential game-winning 3-point attempt that fell short before the final buzzer.

"We showed a lot of fight and aggressiveness down the stretch," Curry said. "We just spotted them too many points."

Green sat out the game in order to rest an ankle that has given him discomfort for more than two weeks, and his absence undoubtedly had something to do with the Warriors" woes on defense.

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, left, drives past Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (David Zalubowski)

Out-rebounded and unable to get stops in crunchtime, the Warriors fell to 36-3 and suffered a rare setback that snapped their seven-game winning streak.

Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with 28 points, going 17 for 19 from the free throw line on a night when the Warriors totaled 20 free throws.

"I"m sure he would have loved to get some cracks at Gallinari," Curry said of Green.

Curry hit a 33-foot 3-pointer with under a minute left to pull the Warriors to within two points.

Later with a chance to tie the score or give the Warriors the lead, Curry mishandled the ball for his eighth turnover. Gallinari stole it, leading to two Gary Harris free throws to give Denver a 111-107 lead with 5.4 seconds left.

Still, the Warriors would not die then and there. Thompson hit a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left, and Gallinari missed one of two free throws on the other end to give the Warriors one final chance.

But with only 1.8 seconds to work with and the Warriors forced to go away from Curry as their first option, Thompson"s shot went off the front of the rim.

"A wake-up call a little bit," Thompson, who finished with 17 points, said of the loss.

"It does not feel good."

Harrison Barnes added 18 points off the bench in his most productive performance since coming back from a sprained ankle.

But the Warriors would have liked a better start, as the Nuggets led for most of the game. Denver had 10-point leads in the first and headed into the fourth. Curry struggled with his shooting before heating up in the fourth. The Warriors started Jason Thompson in place of Green, whose fire and versatility on defense were missed dearly.

"We"ve got to play at that same intensity for 48 minutes like we did in the last four to five minutes. If we do that, we"re the hardest team to beat in this league," Klay Thompson said.

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 13: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors lays up a shot against Kenneth Faried #35 of the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center on January 13, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) (Doug Pensinger)

Said Warriors interim coach Luke Walton: "For a championship team and for what we are trying to accomplish, we didn"t play hard enough and we definitely didn"t play smart enough for the majority of the game."

The Warriors could be missing Green once again on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers. He conceded that he needed the rest against the Nuggets.

"I wanted to fight it, but my body wouldn"t let me," Green said.

"I"m pretty beat up right now."

Green had been the only Warriors starter to play every game, and he leads the team averaging 34.9 minutes per game -- a number that increased while Barnes was out of action.

"With a big road trip coming up and a tough stretch here at the end of the month, we just figure it"s better to give him a little bit of rest and try to keep him healthy," Walton said.

"It"s something where he could play, but with the amount of minutes he"s been playing and -- I won"t call them injuries -- some nagging pain, it"s just better we feel like to give him the night off here."

The Warriors did get Leandro Barbosa back in action after he missed nine games with a sprained shoulder.

For more on the Warriors, see the Inside the Warriors blog at www.ibabuzz.com/warriors. Follow Diamond Leung on Twitter at twitter.com/diamond83.

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/warriors/ci_29382625/nuggets-hand-warriors-their-third-loss-season