Nikola Jokic buzzer-beater stuns Warriors in 130-127 loss to Nuggets
SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors are going to have nightmares about what happened at Chase Center on Thursday night.
In the game’s final seconds, Nikola Jokic took three steps past half-court, then drained a long-range 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the NBA champion Denver Nuggets home with a 130-127 win.
The Warriors led by 18 midway through the fourth quarter but the Nuggets went on a 13-0 run to spark a remarkable comeback.
Jokic finished with 34 points while going 13-for-16 from the floor and 2-for-2 from three-point range. The MVP candidate also dished out 10 assists and added nine rebounds.
Jokic scored 15 points in a dominant first quarter, but scored just two in the second and seven in the third as the Warriors began to smother him.
As big of a threat as he is to score, the Nuggets center also took a few turns dribbling the ball up the court. With incredible vision, Jokic threaded the needle over and over with long-range passes to catch the Warriors napping in transition.
But the Warriors started to figure him out in the third.
Several times he received the ball and was immediately met with three pairs of hands in his face and around the ball.
Brandin Podziemski hit three corner-3s to propel the Warriors to a 44-point third quarter, their highest-scoring quarter of the season.
It looked like the Warriors were in control, but Jokic came alive late and the Warriors couldn’t stop him.
The Warriors have three games remaining on their current seven-game homestand.
More to come.