The Denver Nuggets kicked off their 2025-26 NBA season with high hopes of making a statement against the Golden State Warriors. Instead, they walked away with a stinging 137-131 overtime loss in their season opener on Thursday, despite a remarkable 50-point performance from Aaron Gordon. The night, however, belonged to Stephen Curry, who torched the Nuggets for 42 points, including 35 in the second half and overtime, shooting an efficient 14-25 from the field and 6-12 from three-point range.
Curry was unstoppable down the stretch, and the Nuggets’ defense had no answer for the superstar point guard. Postgame, Nuggets head coach David Adelman took accountability for the team’s defensive miscues, admitting critical errors in their approach to containing Curry.
“We made some mistakes,” Adelman said candidly. “A few times we didn’t send [Curry] in the direction of the defense. If he gets the other way, there’s no one on the other side of that pick. That’s what he’s got going. The shot he made to tie towards the end, it’s a shot only he can make. Obviously, we have to be up more.”
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Adelman pointed to hesitancy in the Nuggets’ defensive execution, particularly a fear of fouling Curry, which allowed the Warriors’ star to exploit their lapses. “I think guys got hesitant because they did call a few things where a little bit of contact, you got the calls,” Adelman explained. “You don’t even have a four-point play, you have three. The hope was to make him drive the ball to the basket. Seeing as we weren’t up enough, we had to give it a shot.”
The Nuggets’ defensive struggles are not a new issue. Over the past couple of seasons, Denver’s defense has been a lingering concern, and Thursday’s performance against one of the greatest shooters in NBA history exposed those vulnerabilities. While they won’t face a player of Curry’s caliber every night, the loss highlighted areas that need immediate improvement.
Despite the defeat, Adelman’s postgame comments suggest he has a clear understanding of what went wrong and how to adjust moving forward. The Nuggets now turn their attention to their next challenge, a matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. After a disappointing defensive showing to start the season, Denver is eager to tighten up and deliver a stronger performance in game two.