DENVER _ The task seemed overwhelming.
Nuggets coach Mike Malone called the Warriors' Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant "three of the greatest shooters ever to play the game." Even with those players, Malone considered Warriors forward Draymond Green "the most important piece to that team" because of his versatility.
Still, Malone told something to his players beforehand that turned out to become true: "They'll let you back in the game."
The Warriors still coasted to a 127-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, improving to a 7-3 record and providing further improvement in their conditioning even in a city where the altitude often proves overwhelming.
With the Warriors being the Warriors, though, that meant they could not secure a strong start. After holding onto a 13-point lead, the Nuggets went a 15-0 run when Durant and Curry sat out for a 38-36 lead with 7:17 left in the second quarter. During those moments, Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried threw down countless lobs and stuffed Warriors rookie forward Jordan Bell at the rim. The Nuggets even found Paul Millsap open for a dunk off an inbounds pass.
Then, the Warriors opened the second half showing how their talent can overcome most odds. The Warriors stormed out of the third quarter with a 16-2 run for a 76-57 lead with 8:04 left, and the result became basically official. The Warriors led by as much as 29 points, and never looked back.
Durant scored 13 of his team-leading 25 points during that stretch, while also adding seven assists and seven rebounds. Curry finished with 22 points while going 7 of 14 from the field and 5 of 10 from 3-point range. Thompson and Green both added 15 points.
The Warriors enjoyed a 103-76 cushion entering the final quarter after outscoring the Nuggets, 43-21. The Warriors went 16 of 23 from the field, while shooting 6 of 11 from 3. Meanwhile, Denver shot only 9 of 24 overall, and missing six of its seven 3-point attempts.
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