Warriors beat Nuggets 134-114 for first win as rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scores 31 and Stephen Curry goes 8 for 8

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored 31 points and Stephen Curry did not miss a shot as the Golden State Warriors beat the Denver Nuggets 134-114 at Ball Arena on Monday night (US time; tip-off 2am GMT Tuesday 27 October) for their first win of the season, according to AP. AP said the win spared Golden State their first 0-4 start since 2007-08. The Warriors are 1-3 and the Nuggets 1-2.

Lendeborg had 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes, making 9 of 19 shots, 1 of 8 three-pointers and 12 of 13 free throws, according to the ESPN box score. NBC Sports Bay Area said he is only the third Warriors rookie to reach at least 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in a game, after Rick Barry and Wilt Chamberlain.

Curry finished with 24 points on 8-of-8 shooting, including 3 of 3 from three-point range and 5 of 5 free throws, and AP said 21 of his points came in the second half. NBC Sports Bay Area said it was his first game without a missed shot since 2011.

Score by quarter (ESPN): Warriors 28-32-40-34, Nuggets 32-24-28-30.

Curry’s third quarter

Denver led by four after the first quarter and Golden State were 60-56 ahead at half-time, with Curry on three points from a single shot. NBC Sports Bay Area reported that he then scored 17 points in seven minutes of the third quarter, including three-pointers from 26 and 27 feet, as the Warriors outscored Denver 40-28 in the period. Golden State closed the quarter on an 11-2 run to lead 100-84.

Lendeborg went into half-time as the game’s top scorer with 15 points despite missing his first five three-point attempts, according to NBC Sports Bay Area, which picked out his first-half chase-down block on Christian Braun, followed by a finish at the other end, as the play of the half. The Denver Gazette’s highlight for the Nuggets was a late third-quarter alley-oop from rookie Bryce Hopkins to Trevon Brazile, who was fouled on the dunk; the three-point play cut the deficit to seven.

The Warriors shot 54.1% from the field and made 22 of 44 three-pointers, AP said, and had 31 assists, according to ESPN team statistics. Brandin Podziemski scored 18 and was plus-33, Gui Santos had 13 on 5-of-6 shooting and Al Horford made all three of his three-point attempts for 11 points off the bench. Draymond Green scored three points with seven assists. AP said Curry, Green and Podziemski returned after sitting out Saturday’s game in Phoenix.

Jokic’s night and Gordon’s exit

Nikola Jokic had 19 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists before he was taken out with 3:33 left and Denver trailing by 21, AP reported. DeMar DeRozan scored 21 off the bench, Jamal Murray had 19 points and eight assists, and Hopkins added 13.

Aaron Gordon, who scored seven, was given a double technical foul in the fourth quarter and left the court, according to AP; the Denver Gazette reported that he was ejected. AP said some fans left early. Denver were without Alpha Diallo (wrist), Cameron Johnson (ankle), Spencer Jones (hamstring) and Julian Strawther (knee), AP reported.

“You have to win the first battle, and we lost it throughout the night. They did what they do,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said, according to the Denver Gazette. “Steph will make shots, but the other stuff is just unacceptable. I don’t care if our guys are rookies or played in the league for 15 years; you have to put your hands on people if you want to have a chance. We didn’t do that.”

Murray told the paper: “That team was playing super desperate. I bet you that played into it, losing three in a row.” Adelman added: “We’re 1-2. There’s 79 games to go. You’re always frustrated when you lose a game, but this is a process.”

The Warriors play at Minnesota on Wednesday and the Nuggets at New Orleans on Wednesday (US time), according to AP.

See also: Nuggets come back from 23 down to beat Pelicans 141-135 in overtime and Lakers beat Warriors 127-105 on opening night.