Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are the reigning NBA champs, but they're no longer seen as the favorites to come out of the West this season. As things stand a week before the NBA trade deadline, that title belongs to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets who sit comfortably atop the conference standings.
There's a case to be made that until someone knocks off the Warriors, they still hold the belt as the best in the West. Head coach Steve Kerr does not belong in that camp. Kerr offered a dose of reality to his club and Dub Nation after their 134-117 defeat in Denver on Thursday, via ClutchPoints' Warriors reporter Jack Winter:
“I thought our guys battled all night and that third quarter was just too much,” said Steve Kerr. Missed some shots, I thought their defense picked up and we turned it over a few.
“They showed why they're the best team in the West right now. They're playing at a high level, and that third quarter felt like the difference.”
The Warriors have historically owned third quarters. Those 12 minutes once served as the stretch wherein Stephen Curry and the rest would flip the switch and impose their will on any opponent. The Nuggets were the ones doing the imposing on Thursday as they outscored Golden State 35-22 in the third.
That's a -13 third quarter for the Warriors in Denver. They had eight turnovers in 12 minutes. Nuggets up 14.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 3, 2023
Winning on the road in Denver's altitude on a second night of a back-to-back while having both Klay Thompson and Draymond Green out weren't exactly the most favorable of circumstances to pull off a win. But it doesn't change the fact that the Warriors have a tough road ahead of them to get back to the NBA Finals.
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