Jalen Suggs (#4) of the Orlando Magic drives toward the rim in the game against the Golden State Warriors at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, November 3, 2022. /CFP
The Orlando Magic defeated the Golden State Warriors 130-129 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday, giving the defending champions their fourth straight loss.
Magic saw six of their players score double-digits, led by Jalen Suggs' 29. He shot 5-for-7 from the field, including 2-for-3 at the 3-point line, in the final quarter to get 15 points, helping his team lead 34-31 in the quarter. Before that in the third quarter, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner combined to drop 22 points, leading the Magic to drive a 43-33 run.
The Magic's rare high score on Thursday night also came from their remarkable aggressiveness that brought the team as many as 46 free throws. Though they only made 33 of them, it was still much better than the Warriors' performance on this front (10-for-15). The Warriors, who were already at a disadvantage in size, saw their main rotating big men – Kevon Looney, Draymond Green and JaMychal Green – with bound hands due to foul trouble.
Stephen Curry (#30) of the Golden State Warriors dribbles in the game against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, November 3, 2022. /CFP
The Warriors' offensive performance in Thursday's game was better than their season average, both in production and efficiency. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined to go 15-for-30 from downtown to score 66 points. The team delivered as many as 31 assists with 14 turnovers, which were also fewer than their average stats.
It was their poor defense that cost the Warriors the game on Thursday night. The team was focused enough on containing Magic's penetration and ball movement for only the first six minutes of the first quarter. Since they established an 11-point lead (23-12) at 5:48 in this quarter, the Warriors seemed always at least one step slower than the opponents in competing for rebounds, contesting 3-point shooting and rotating to protect the paint.
Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic dunks in the game against the Golden State Warriors at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, November 3, 2022. /CFP
The Warriors' bench unit should also be responsible for Thursday's loss. All of the team's five starters were positive in plus/minus. By contrast, their teammates who began off the bench were completely outmatched by their Magic counterparts in scoring (23-45), rebounds (13-19), 3-pointers (2-8) and free throws (3-13).
Nikola Jokic (#15) of the Denver Nuggets looks to pass to his teammate in the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, November 3, 2022. /CFP
Denver Nuggets 122-110 Oklahoma City Thunder
The Nuggets avoided straight losses after reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic helped five of his teammates score in double digits with a triple-double of 15 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists. It was the 79th triple-double of Jokic in his career and enabled him to surpass Wilt Chamberlain as sixth on the all-time triple-doubles leaders list.
Aaron Gordon shot efficiently 10-for-13 in field goals (FGs) to get a team-high of 27 points, but the Nuggets were gladder to see Jamal Murray score 24 points, the highest this season since he returned from an ACL tear. The team has been desperate for the second offensive engine, especially in the back court, to ease the burden on Jokic. Murray was able to get 50 points in more than one game during one series when he was healthy. If he continues to perform like, or does better than he did on Thursday night, the Nuggets will have the chance to become a serious contender in the Western Conference this season.
Nonetheless, if the Nuggets want to go even further, they will need to count on Michael Porter Jr. to play a bigger role. Shooting 3-for-6 from deep, as he did in Thursday, was good, but Porter Jr. has a lot more duties to shoulder, including becoming a more efficient finisher in the paint, making better use of his size and athleticism on defense, and making better calls on the court.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (#2) of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots in the game against the Denver Nuggets at Paycom Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, November 3, 2022. /CFP
Compared with the Nuggets who already have a working system that waits for refining and breaking, the Thunder are still trying to pick teammates for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. While the 24-year-old was unstoppable enough to shoot 13-for-17 from the field and 11-for-11 at the free throw line to get 37 points, his teammates didn't seem to be on the same pace with him.
The Thunder drafted multiple talented young men but in relatively extreme ways in the past few years, including Josh Giddey and Aleksej Pokusevski. They had some highlights from time to time, but none has so far shown much consistency or the potential to at least play as a premium member in the team's rotations.