The planned preseason game and championship showdown on Wednesday night lived up to the hype.

Ultimately, the Nuggets triumphed over the Golden State Warriors, prevailing 108-105 at the energetic Ball Arena to preserve their winning record at home and rise to an NBA-best 8-1.

Seven lead changes occurred in an exciting fourth quarter of a game that felt like it belonged in the postseason.

Golden State’s best player, Stephen Curry, went above and beyond to nearly upset the Nuggets. Curry’s 34-foot running 3-pointer with 18.1 seconds left cut the Warriors’ lead to 107-105.

Still, Denver seemed to be in control until Nikola Jokic missed two free throws on the other end. Curry was forced to miss an awkward layup, though, as Denver’s defense stalled him. Reggie Jackson made one of his two foul shots to seal Denver’s victory.

Even though Jokic struggled mightily to miss both of the big free throws, he was still the best player on the court. His final line of play was 35 points, 5 assists, and 13 rebounds. He made 14 of his 25 shots.

On Wednesday, the latest NBA champions squared off for the first time this year. The 2022 championship was won by the Warriors in six games over the Boston Celtics, and the 2023 championship was won by the Nuggets in six games over the Heat.

A 30-second spurt gave the Nuggets the momentum they needed to stay with the energetic Warriors, who looked ready to seize control of the game, with 8:16 left in the fourth quarter.

It looked like Curry was coasting toward a straightforward finger-roll layup when Aaron Gordon suddenly sprang forward to deflect the shot. Curry did not get the call he was hoping for from the goalie.

On the other hand, after fouling Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Trayce Jackson-Davis was called for a goaltending call during his driving layup. Denver prevailed 92–87 to win the run. Curry was not pleased with the outcome of the situation.

It’s easiest to characterize Denver’s performance in the third quarter as disorganized, as the Warriors outscored them 31–23 and took a 78–76 lead. Jackson, who had four fouls, was asked to stay on the sidelines and Collin Gillespie was asked to spearhead the attack. Despite the unexpected outcome, Jokic’s 14-point quarter kept the score in close range.The Nuggets led 23–13 at the end of the first quarter thanks to a put-back slam from Michael Porter Jr., who finished with 17 points. Porter Jr. was on a mission when the game began. He scored 10 points in the quarter on 4 of 6 shots, including 2 3-pointers.

With guard and team captain Jamal Murray out for an extended period of time with a hamstring injury, the Nuggets are eager to make Porter the center of their offensive attack. He was fresh off a huge game in New Orleans, where in just 28 minutes of action, he finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.

Curry played for over nine minutes and took just two shots in the first quarter, but he did not score. Curry didn’t score any points until he made a 3-pointer with 6:20 left in the second quarter to tie the game at 36-all.

Nevertheless, with Caldwell-Pope playing relentless defense, Curry led the Warriors in the second half and finished with 23 points despite shooting just 35.3% (6 of 17).