Steph Curry revs up for perfect night, watches as Warriors finish rout in Denver for first win

DENVER - You could feel the engine, from the minute the gas was pressed. Stephen Curry had a little extra, this night, after a month in Golden State with a tarp over the V12 only removed for test-drives around the block. He down-shifted off an early pick-and-roll in vintage form, hitting the turbo, hitting Brandin Podziemski for a left-wing 3-pointer as the Nuggets' defense caved in. 

The tarp came back on, quick. In the first half against Denver Monday night, Curry took exactly one shot in 14 minutes, a strangely passive effort from Golden State's star. Then, in the third quarter of Golden State's 134-114 win over Denver, the engine roared, as Curry looked as physically sound and quick as he has since the knee troubles that invaded last January. 

Hunting his own shot without forcing, and feeling a spark against a Nuggets team that visibly lacked much fire for three quarters, Curry let off a quiver of arrows at Ball Arena. He slashed. He quick-released over guard Christian Braun and his 6-foot-7 wingspan. He lost his dribble while checked by DeMar DeRozan, and flailed, and meandered, and turned a corner and dropped in another dime at the bucket, a four-point halftime lead suddenly pushed to 14 after another timeless show of Curry theatrics. 

Two weeks ago, Curry simply wasn't "where he ultimately wants to be" physically, as head coach Steve Kerr said. He dialed back his own summer work, took fewer reps training camp, and limited his preseason game action more than ever. The Warriors bubble-wrapped him, and Curry acquiesced, telling the Chronicle he was aiming for the "big picture."

At some point, though, he needed unwrapping. And he took center stage in the second half in Denver, with a 17-point run in just 7:30 of game clock. He ended it perfect - 8-of-8 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line for 24 points, hopping and kicking and wiggling his hips.

Warriors 134, Nuggets 114

Percentages: FG .541, FT .952.

3-Point Goals: 22-44, .500 (Curry 3-3, Horford 3-3, Niang 3-6, Podziemski 3-7, Cryer 2-2, Williams 2-2, Ike 1-1, Green 1-2, Santos 1-2, Payton II 1-3, Melton 1-5, Lendeborg 1-8).

Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers: 1.

Blocked Shots: 2 (Lendeborg, Williams).

Turnovers: 17 (Green 5, Williams 4, Curry 3, Lendeborg 3, Ike, Niang).

Steals: 5 (Curry 2, Payton II, Podziemski, Santos).

Technical Fouls: None.

Percentages: FG .500, FT .870.

3-Point Goals: 10-29, .345 (Murray 3-6, DeRozan 2-5, Brazile 1-1, Nnaji 1-1, Hopkins 1-3, Braun 1-4, Jokic 1-6, Holmes II 0-1, Gordon 0-2).

Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: 1.

Blocked Shots: 6 (Jokic 3, Bagley III, DeRozan, T.Jones).

Turnovers: 11 (Braun 3, Murray 3, Brazile, DeRozan, Gordon, Jokic, Whitmore).

Steals: 13 (Braun 3, Murray 3, DeRozan 2, T.Jones 2, Gordon, Holmes II, Jokic).

Technical Fouls: Gordon, 8:34 fourth; Gordon, 8:34 fourth.

A_19,520 (19,520). T_2:19.

And - notably - he totaled 26 minutes. Not because of a restriction, necessarily. Because he had help.

The Warriors failed in their home opener last Friday because there were few secondary options beyond a Curry-Draymond Green pick-and-roll that became simply too predictable. Their $57 million Robin, after all, is but a current presence in voice and in spirit, Jimmy Butler still nursing the knee injury that is hanging over Golden State's season. 

The workload on Curry's shoulders is heavier than ever, as his knees only add miles. He knows.

"Take the shots when you're open - be aggressive, try to create, play-make," Curry said last Friday, to a question about fourth-year guard Brandin Podziemski. "We need scoring from wherever we can get it, up and down the roster."

In Denver, on Monday, the 23-year-old Podziemski looked like a man who listened. He began the night firing, with six of Golden State's first 11 attempts from the floor. He ended it as an irreplaceable connector, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and no turnovers, a game-high plus-30 in his 31 minutes of work. 

"There's a reason," Kerr said last Friday, "that we signed him to that contract."

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, meanwhile, picked up any slack available, repeatedly attacking the chest of Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Denver had little answer for Lendeborg's aggressiveness in transition and as a ballhandler. The Warriors' ascending rookie sent home one fourth-quarter jam with a roar and a career-best 31 points to go with 12 rebounds and six assists. 

Golden State, too, managed the eminently difficult task of neutralizing Jokic behind Green - who started at center and stuck to the Nuggets star like plaque - and the 40-year-old Al Horford, who made Jokic pay for drop coverage on the other end with three 3-pointers.

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This article originally published at Steph Curry revs up for perfect night, watches as Warriors finish rout in Denver for first win.