Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
They won Tuesday in Memphis, fueled by Stephen Curry’s otherworldly shooting. Then they won again Thursday in Los Angeles, beating the Lakers behind Curry and a big game from Brandin Podziemski.
But the Golden State Warriors validated their playoff push in an entirely new way Friday night — they conquered Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
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The Warriors had lost nine consecutive games to the Nuggets, a skid stretching more than three years. But Golden State flipped the script, steaming to a 118-104 victory at raucous Chase Center.
Curry led the way with 36 points, giving him 125 over his past three games, and Podziemski added 26. Jokic collected 33 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for Denver, extending his incredible season.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) takes a three-point shot during the second quarter of his NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets in San Francisco, Calif., Friday, April 4, 2025.
Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
But it wasn’t enough to stop the Warriors from toppling the Nuggets for the first time since March 10, 2022.
That streak ended at an important time, as the Warriors (46-31) jostle for playoff position in the ever-congested Western Conference. Golden State’s fifth consecutive win kept it in the No. 5 spot in the West, one-half game behind No. 4 Denver (47-31).
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Still, the margin for error remains razor-thin with five games left on the schedule. The Warriors hold a one-game lead on Memphis and Minnesota (both 45-32), with the Los Angeles Clippers poised to also reach 45-32. The Clippers held a big third-quarter lead Friday night against Dallas.
The Warriors improved to 21-5 since Jimmy Butler first suited up for them Feb. 8. They’re 21-4 with him on the court (he missed one game because of an injury), and 20-2 when Butler and Curry both play.
Butler had 19 points, five assists and five steals Friday night.
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The Warriors led 66-60 at halftime, a striking turnaround considering they trailed by 10 points after the first quarter. Jokic carved them up, with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists in the quarter.
But even three-time MVPs must occasionally rest.
Jokic sat to start the second quarter, and the Warriors — with Curry, their two-time MVP, also resting — surged back into the mix. They outscored the Nuggets 14-5 before Jokic and Curry both returned with 5:33 left in the first half.
Then the Warriors kept rolling, outscoring Denver 18-11 the rest of the quarter. They mixed up their defenses — using Jonathan Kuminga on Jokic for one stretch, and also playing zone for a bit — and found ways to spring Curry.
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He had 19 points at halftime, on 7-for-11 shooting from the field. Jimmy Butler was plus-14 in the first half.
Reach Ron Kroichick: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com; X: @ronkroichick
