After starting the season 12-3, sitting atop the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors have since lost five straight games by 10 points or less. Their latest loss came in gut-wrenching fashion, after blowing multiple leads and ultimately falling to the Nuggets in Denver by a score of 119-115. The loss also marks the eighth consecutive game the Warriors have lost to the Nuggets.

In a game that saw head coach Steve Kerr make several adjustments to his gameplan, the Warriors still found a way to crumble in the ladder minutes of the fourth after leading by as many as 11 in the final frame.

Without Draymond Green, the Dubs went with a 10-man rotation, with guards Pat Spencer and Lindy Waters III getting DNP’s. With the smaller rotation, Stephen Curry played just north of 34 minutes and was aggressive with his shot selection. Though a less-than-ideal shooting percentage from the field (8-23 35%, 4-15 from three) the Warriors have lacked his high-volume shooting and scoring, he led the team with 24 points.

Not having Green not only minimized the rotation but also significantly hurt the Warriors' defensive strategy against the three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic. Golden State had no answer all night for the Nuggets big man, going for a game-high 39 points, along with 10 boards, 6 assists, and five steals. Jokic posted a plus-minus of +23 from his time on the floor.

With an altered version of sequences with Curry on, he was Kerr’s first substitution off the floor around the six-minute mark of the first quarter. Returning to the floor to begin the second quarter, the Warriors would go a 14-2 run, and reclaim the lead 45-28 after trailing at the end of the first quarter.

Though the Warriors were able to capitalize when Jokic rested throughout the night, his return to the floor was met with deciding Denver runs. A Jamal Murray three would cap off a 12-0 Nuggets run to tie the contest back up at 54 a piece and went into halftime tied 57-57.

The second half was a near identical replay of the first half, with Denver edging the Warriors out in the third quarter, opening up a six-point advantage with a quarter to go. Again, it would be the Warriors capitalizing on the Nuggets without Jokic, starting the fourth with Curry on the floor, contrary to recent games. A 10-2 run would ensue to retake the lead, prompting Denver head coach Mike Malone to trot Jokic back onto the floor.

Overall, the Warriors began the fourth on a 21-6 run, which would be entirely erased within minutes due to turnovers and fouls by Golden State’s defense.

The performance from Golden State’s supporting cast varied from Gary Payton II shining in his 14 minutes of action scoring 11 points, and looking the best he has offensively in some time. Recording a team-high plus-minus of +18. Yet with Jonathan Kuminga scoring 19 points as the second leading scoring, it not only wasn’t enough but down the stretch failed to get into any rhythm.

Brandin Podziemski’s sophomore slump continues to surge, and it is significantly costing the Warriors to the point where Kerr needs to reconsider how much playing time he is getting.

“He can not be that guy. He can’t foul jump shooters. I love Brandin. Hell of a player. Hell of a future. But I hope he watches this clip because he needs to hear it,” Kerr said postgame.

During the Warriors' final offensive possession, Moses Moody failed to connect on a three-point attempt down four points, with Nuggets’ Christian Braun grabbing the rebound and then looked to signal timeout, which would have resulted in a technical foul because Denver did not have any timeoutsremaining. This left Kerr irritate as it instead resulted in a jump ball with a couple of seconds remaining and the game essentially over.

“Braun called a timeout. He dove on the floor and rolled over [signaled timeout]. Everybody saw it except for the three guys we hired to do the game and that makes me angry,” Kerr said.

Despite the loss, the Warriors had already clinched Group C of the Emirates NBA Cup, though they needed this win arguably more than any of the three previous ones to get back into the win column. The Warriors will travel to Houston next week to face the Rockets in a two-three seed matchup.

(Photo credit: David Zalubowski / AP)