NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points from Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors secured an easy 116-102 win against the Denver Nuggets in the final match of the season between the two teams. With the win, the Warriors claimed the season series 3-1.

The match was again filled with controversy. Kevin Durant was ejected midway through the third quarter after hounding the referee following a no-call. He played 21 minutes in the match and ended with 21 points on 9-13 shooting from the field.

With the win, the Warriors have also taken a considerable lead in the Western Conference playoff standings. They have a 53-24 record and lead the Nuggets by 2 full games with only 5 more games left to play in the regular season.

The Nuggets meanwhile have a 51-26 record. They have shown tremendous improvement this season after failing to reach the playoffs last year.

Let's have a look at the key talking points from the match:

#1 Golden State Warriors' offensive firepower:

Curry continued his streak of 5 or more three-pointers in a match

The Golden State Warriors were way better offensively than the Nuggets. Curry didn't play in the fourth quarter as the Warriors had already built a sizable (22 points) lead entering the final period.

The Warriors shot 54% from the field compared to 37.5% shooting from the Nuggets. They also shot 38.2% from the 3PT line.

The Nuggets failed to build any sort of momentum as the game progressed. None of their starters shot above 50% from the field in this match. Jamal Murray top scored for the Nuggets with 17 points on 6-14 shooting from the field.

The Nuggets shot a very poor 22% from the 3PT line in this match and they will need to improve considerably on the offensive end during the playoffs.

#2 Nikola Jokic fails to show up

Nikola Jokic against Klay Thompson

Nikola Jokic has been the driving force for the Nuggets' success this season. He has been putting up MVP caliber displays in every game, but in this crucial outing against the Warriors, Jokic was a non-factor.

Jokic played 27 minutes in the match and ended the game with only 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on 4-10 shooting from the field. He was also guilty of turning the ball over far too many times which didn't allow the Nuggets to gain any momentum in this match.

Jokic has been averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists per game for the season. He has been sensational for the Nuggets, producing clutch displays in big games, but he simply didn't turn up on the night. Jokic has become one of the best big men in the NBA and the Nuggets will rely heavily on him if they want to make a strong push for the championship.

#3 DeMarcus Cousins dominates from inside

DeMarcus Cousins toyed with the Nuggets defenders in this match

DeMarcus Cousins put on one of his best performances in a Warriors uniform against the Nuggets. Cousins dominated inside the paint and his brute force could not be matched by any Nuggets defender.

Cousins finished the match with a game-high 28 points on an incredible 12-17 shooting display from the floor. He shot 2-4 from the 3PT line as well and also grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out 5 assists to help his teammates.

Stephen Curry, meanwhile, continued his hot run from the 3PT line. He finished the match with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on 5-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Curry leads the Warriors in PPG and has been one of the most efficient scorers in the league this season. He is averaging 27.7 points per game on an astonishing 44% shooting from the 3PT line for the season.