The Denver Nuggets managed to pull off a surprising victory against the Golden State Warriors, winning 114-105 at the Chase Center on Monday night. This game marked the Warriors’ first loss in over two weeks, but if you’re a Nuggets fan, you might find the circumstances behind the win a bit unsettling, especially since star players Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were sidelined.
What raised eyebrows during this encounter wasn’t just the absence of Jokic and Murray, but the way both teams navigated the unwritten rules of the game. With just 26 seconds left on the clock and a comfortable 10-point lead, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson opted to score instead of running out the shot clock. This decision ignited a flurry of questions around sportsmanship and the respect for the game’s unwritten etiquette.
On the other end, the Warriors’ Moses Moody seized the opportunity, nailing a wide-open three-pointer and then going for another shot right after snagging his own rebound. At this point, one would expect some tension to flare up, but in an unusual turn of events, the scene was marked by a surprising lack of urgency or indignation. Jokic was seen clapping enthusiastically from the bench, and on-court players from both teams appeared unfazed by these lapses. It was almost as if everyone collectively decided that these late-game moments, which typically spark controversy, were not worth a fuss.
This isn’t the typical response we’ve come to expect in high-stakes matchups. Just last season, a skirmish nearly erupted when the Warriors took a shot at the end of a game against the Charlotte Hornets, which caught everyone’s attention for all the wrong reasons. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has made it no secret that his team stands by taking shots in those situations rather than letting the clock run out, a philosophy he reinforced last week after Jimmy Butler hit a meaningless jumper against the Blazers.
Kerr’s approach speaks to a broader motif within professional sports—a refreshing mindset that promotes playing to win, even when the game is all but decided. As fans, we can only hope this attitude resonates throughout the league and encourages teams to maintain that competitive edge as the season progresses. After all, there’s always a fine line in sports between playing it safe and going for the jugular, and it’s that tension that keeps fans on the edge of their seats.
