The Golden State Warriors proved to the entire NBA that their victory over the Los Angeles Lakers was no fluke and that they are legitimate title contenders.
After the Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the season opener, many fans felt confident that they were a contender for the NBA title.
Jonathan Kuminga in particular seemed like the player the Warriors needed, as he has dealt with a lot of the criticism surrounding him.
However, there are still some who are skeptical about their team. In fact, Paul Pierce believes the Warriors’ title window is over and they will never compete for a championship.
And the loss to the Denver Nuggets proved that wrong. They defeated one of the best teams in the West and showed they are a legitimate championship contender.
The Golden State Warriors fell behind in the fourth quarter and led the Nuggets by seven points. Aaron Gordon had the best game of his career, going 10-for-11 from beyond the arc.
But then Stephen Curry came back and made some big shots to tie the game and bring the Warriors within striking distance.
After forcing the Nuggets into overtime, the Warriors took over and ultimately won 2-0 by six points.
The Nuggets had one of the best rosters in the NBA, and even though their star players had great offensive nights, the Warriors continued to wrest wins from the brink of defeat.
With the Lakers still plagued by injuries and chemistry, many felt the win against the LA Lakers was nothing more than that.
Well, those criticisms will now go out the window as the Warriors just defeated one of the Western Conference’s best teams.
The Warriors have plenty of reasons to be confident after starting the season 2-0 and defeating two teams that many believe will be in contention for the NBA championship.
The Warriors have combined this roster to maximize their title window. The addition of Al Horford is huge for the Warriors’ title hopes, as they finally have a strong option at center.
However, their biggest test will come in early November against the defending champion OKC Thunder. If the Warriors can defeat the Thunder, they will be seen as one of the favorites to win the championship.
But as we saw in the first two games, beating the OKC Thunder is no easy task, even if you can force it to double overtime.