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Tim MacMahon
SAN FRANCISCO — Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone considered Monday’s road matchup against the Golden State Warriors to be the kind of game that reveals a lot about the psyche of players.
The Nuggets sat three starters — three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, co-star Jamal Murray and Christian Braun — because of nagging injuries against a Golden State team that entered the night with the NBA’s longest winning streak.
“There’s some guys who would think, ‘Do I really feel like playing tonight?'” Malone said after the Nuggets pulled off a 114-105 win at Chase Center, citing Russell Westbrook and Aaron Gordon as obvious exceptions. “What you love about Russ, what you love about AG [is their mentality]: ‘All right, well, next man up. There’s more opportunity for me.'”
Gordon, who had missed three of the previous four games because of a sore calf, scored 38 points, his most in a Denver uniform. Westbrook had 12 points, 11 rebounds, 16 assists and 3 steals.
“That ain’t nothing new,” said Westbrook, who added to his NBA record with his 203rd career triple-double. “You’ve seen that from me before.”
It wasn’t always an artistic performance by Westbrook, who went 5-of-17 from the floor with a few air balls and committed seven turnovers, prompting Malone to crack that he nearly had a quadruple-double. But Westbrook’s relentless energy and intensity set the tone for an undermanned Denver squad.
“First off, Russ is not just a dog. He’s a wolf,” Gordon said. “He’s different. Offensively and defensively, he’s always on 10, always on 12.”
The Nuggets shot 16-of-24 on passes from Westbrook, according to ESPN Research. It was his 44th career triple-double with at least 15 assists, one shy of tying Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson for the most in NBA history.
With Westbrook pushing the tempo, Denver dominated the game in transition. According to Second Spectrum tracking, Denver scored 37 transition points, the second most Golden State has allowed in a game this season.
“I felt from the get-go Russ’ tenacity, his intensity, what he brings every single night,” Malone said. “Just being a leader in the huddles, getting on guys, uplifting guys, whatever is needed at the time. That’s why Russ has been such a great addition to us all season long.”