Nikola Jokic made his feelings clear after Denver fans booed the Nuggets during their season-opening homestand. But Golden State’s 134-114 win on Monday offered another reason for frustration. And leaving the reigning stars of Denver with more questions to answer on the court.
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The Nuggets returned to Ball Arena against the Warriors. The crowd’s response was less pronounced than it had been against New Orleans, but audible boos still surfaced as Denver struggled. This time, there was no dramatic recovery. Golden State pulled away for a 20-point victory, handing Denver a loss that made its early-season problems harder to dismiss.
Nikola Jokic was asked about his earlier comments after the defeat. He showed no interest in softening his position. “I just said what I said, you know; I’m sticking to what I said, you know. I played in a much worse environment. You know, I played from 10 people, 50 people, 100 people whatever. I didn’t play like 10,000, 15,000, or so. And I’m not used to it that fans are booing their own team.”
In fact, based on his European experience, the Joker stated that he hasn’t heard fans booing their own team. And even some of them did heckle; Nikola Jokic once again called them “not real fans.”
The tension began during Denver’s October 24 matchup with New Orleans. The Nuggets fell behind by as many as 23 points, and the crowd made its displeasure clear as early as the second quarter. Boos followed during stretches of the game, even as Denver tried to recover. The team eventually delivered a comeback, winning 141-135 in overtime. Yet Nikola Jokic focused on the reaction from the stands when reporters asked him about the boos.
“Yeah, I’m actually so glad that you mentioned that because we got booed in the first home game,” Jokic told reporters on Saturday. “I think those fans who boo us, they don’t need to come anymore. Because if you guys follow us, you know that we never quit, and we came back from much worse or similar situations. So if you ask me, they’re not welcome anymore.”
Denver looked headed for a home-opening defeat after New Orleans built a 19-point advantage by the end of the third quarter. The Nuggets responded with their best stretch of the night, outscoring the Pelicans 37–18 in the final period to push the contest into overtime. Jamal Murray sparked the rally with 42 points and eight three-pointers, then converted two clutch free throws to pull Denver even at 126–126.
Once the game went beyond regulation, Nikola Jokic took over. He poured in eight points in overtime and wrapped up the night with 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, helping Denver escape with its first win of the 2026–27 season. The Warriors offered a different test.
This time, Denver couldn’t complete another comeback, and the crowd had little reason to celebrate at the final buzzer. The loss did not soften Nikola Jokic’s position.
The comeback against New Orleans offered hope, but the Warriors exposed how much work Denver still has to do. The Joker actually gave the Nuggets a promising start against Golden State. He helped Denver build a 32-28 lead after the opening quarter, ticking his box score with at least nine points, five rebounds, five assists and two blocks in the first 12 minutes.
According to reports, that combination has occurred only five other times since the 1996-97 season, with James Harden, Rajon Rondo, Tim Duncan, Ronny Turiaf and Jokic himself accounting for those instances.
His individual production wasn’t enough to prevent the blowout. Denver’s repeated slow starts have now become a pattern, and the comeback against New Orleans remains the only time the team has overcome a fourth-quarter deficit this season. Joker can challenge the fans’ reaction, but the Nuggets need better starts if they want to change the reaction.