The Warriors came close to ending their two-game losing streak Tuesday night and getting one step closer to opening the NBA Cup at Chase Center.

But the Denver Nuggets erased an 11-point deficit with 6:01 left in the final – and a seven-point deficit with 2:30 left – to send the Warriors out of Ball Arena with a 119-115 loss, their fifth in a series this season and for the eighth straight time against the Nuggets.

The loss dropped the Warriors to No. 3 in the Western Conference NBA Cup standings and will travel to Houston to face the Rockets in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, December 11 at 6:30 p.m. PT.

Six Warriors scored in double figures, led by Stephen Curry with 24 points. Andrew Wiggins, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody each finished with 13, while Gary Payton II posted a season-high 11.

Steph sinks the fadeaway J 💦 pic.twitter.com/OY3b8htifG

– Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 4, 2024

The loss sends the Warriors (12-8) to Houston to face the Rockets next week in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Dec. 10 or 11.

Here are three observations on another loss after a late-game fade by Golden State:

Another failure on the track

Draymond Green, with a tender left calf, sat on the bench in street clothes and Curry shot 8 of 23 from the field. The team’s excellent veterinarians needed help.

Enter the bench, which has recently lost much of its splendor. They found it in the third and fourth quarters. With the Nuggets making relay runs to the foul line and trying to outrun the Warriors, the bench gave them a chance.

That wasn’t enough, however, as the Warriors fell 6-01 in the finale. They missed 10 of their final 13 shots, committed two turnovers and sent the Nuggets to the free throw line nine times.

Meanwhile, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić scored 15 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth quarter, including nine in the final 4:22.

Kuminga shines in the starting eleven

After a full month passed between starts, Kuminga was in the starting lineup for the second time in three games. This was partly about Kerr’s ongoing experiment with the starting five, but mostly about the absence of Draymond Green.

Kuminga took advantage of the opportunity from the opening tip. He scored nine points in the first six minutes and finished the half with 13 in 17 minutes – and was the only starter who didn’t score a turnover.

Most impressive was Kuminga’s measured offense. He demonstrated above-average floor vision, which led to productive passes. He purposefully tried to get his own shot, and the result was the kind of efficiency the Warriors wanted. His decision-making ability, often a weakness, was solid.

He finished the game with 19 points on 9 of 18 shooting from the field and added five rebounds and two assists. He committed no turnovers in 29 minutes.

Steph finds JK for a jam 💪 pic.twitter.com/BngGOaxgYf

– Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 4, 2024

Although there were a few visible defensive errors, this was JK’s cleanest and perhaps most complete offensive game this season.

Moody’s mood

Three nights after playing three minutes in a season-ending loss to Phoenix, Moody returned and showed his resolve remains high. He sparked the biggest fire in the second half that put the Warriors in position to win.

After missing his first four shots, Moody came into the game with 5:02 left in the third quarter and made three crucial shots to keep the Warriors close. To further illustrate his effectiveness, Moody scored 13 points in 13 minutes of the second half between the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter.

Money Moses drops a penny 🎯 pic.twitter.com/tjmMoUW73S

– Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 4, 2024

Moody played 20 minutes, his third-highest total playing time this season. He scored his 13 points on 4 of 10 shots from the field, including 2 of 6 from long range. He added two rebounds, an assist and a steal.

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