Warriors instant analysis: Steph Curry’s crunchtime brilliance sparks overtime win in home opener

SAN FRANCISCO – If the first two games are anything to go by, the Warriors will not be shutting many teams down during the 2025-26 season. 

But with the kind of firepower Golden State boasts, it may not matter. Because the Warriors have Steph Curry, and other teams do not. 

“He loves the moment,” Draymond Green said. “That’s just been who he’s been since I’ve known him.”

Steph Curry led Golden State with 42 points, 35 of them scored in the second half of an 137-131 overtime victory. 

He sparked a third-quarter comeback that saw the teams tied at 94 after 36 minutes.

Then he took over the fourth quarter, tying the game with a little over a minute left with a 3-pointer he punctuated by shimmying in front of a crazed Chase Center crowd, and then again with 21 seconds remaining on a deep triple from the logo to tie things at 120. Overtime followed after Draymond Green got the stop on 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic at the buzzer.

“I was able to do a little snake dribble, and I saw a little bit of daylight,” Curry said. “No second guessing what you’re doing, just trying to get a clean look. Thankfully, it went in.”

Curry and Al Horford each made 3-pointers, and then Jonathan Kuminga euro-stepped his way to the rim after a steal to lead 128-125 with 2:39 remaining in overtime.

Curry punctuated the night with a coast-to-coast layup to put the Warriors up by eight, followed by his signature night-night celebration with under a minute left.

Kerr finished the game with Curry, Horford, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Kuminga.

Jimmy Butler had 21 points and Horford put in 13. Not even an epic night from Archbishop Mitty’s Aaron Gordon — 50 points — was enough to turn away the Nuggets. They also got a 21-point, 13-rebound, 10-assist triple-double from Jokic, albeit one where he shot just 8 for 23 from the field. 

the Warriors were defensively inept in the first half. 

Be it a 2-3 zone or a porous man-to-man, whether they run a double-big lineup with Al Horford and Draymond Green, or try to play small with Jimmy Butler at the power forward, it made no difference. 

Denver led 70-61 at halftime, shooting 60% from inside the arc, and 50% from outside of it. And yet, somehow, the Warriors were tied at 94 after a 33-point third quarter.

Then Curry took over and forced overtime.

The Warriors will play their first back-to-back of the season on Friday when they travel to Portland.

Will Richard continues to impress

Rookie guard Will Richard continued to be a pleasant surprise. After getting the game ball following the victory over the Lakers, Richard checked in during the first quarter and immediately made an impact by grabbing an offensive rebound. 

The Florida product impressed during the preseason and has earned a spot in the rotation while Moses Moody recovers from a calf injury. Richard finished with X points, showing no hesitation in 12 second-half minutes and scoring six points while taking four 3-pointers and grabbing five rebounds. 

Turnovers, or lack thereof

The Warriors had a major turnover problem in the preseason, giving the ball away at least 20 times in each of their five exhibition games. 

After giving the ball away 18 times in Los Angeles, the Warriors bucked that trend by committing only eight turnovers, something that coach Steve Kerr attributed to great spacing.