Everything basketball fanatics fantasized came true. The Warriors-Nuggets game was more than just two contenders colliding. It produced moments of brilliance. Notably, as Denver’s Aaron Gordon went berserk, nailing 10 threes en route to a career-high 50-point night. Contrastingly, Stephen Curry lit the Bay alight with a mesmerizing second-half display, snatching victory from the Nuggets’ jaws.

Nikola Jokic was severely limited, missing some looks he would usually make. But the focus was on Gordon’s valiant effort. The former Magic forward made his first seven triples. Jokic hadn’t seen such aggression from his teammate before. But even if it continues, things are only going to get easier for the Joker.

“I mean, someone scored 10 threes in the game, I think it’s easy to play with a guy. So, whoever scored 10 threes in a game, um, it’s easy to play with that person,” Jokic said about Aaron Gordon’s breathtaking night. The Joker clearly saw Gordon’s confidence boiling in the first half. As soon as a double came, the three-time MVP threw a dart to AG.

Gordon couldn’t miss even if he wanted to. That’s the quality of looks the Warriors were willing to give him until they realized he was on a hot streak. He missed just one three-pointer throughout the game, after hitting his first seven. But if you ask Gordon, his electric shooting display didn’t put a smile on his face. The 30-year-old refused to take the game ball, even though his teammates pushed for it.

It’s a performance he won’t forget. But it will always bring back the aching loss attached to it. But Gordon’s development as a shooter has been sensational. Last season, the forward set a career-high 43.6% mark from beyond the arc. Clearly, the approach in the summer was to strengthen his mechanics further for nights like these.

Aaron Gordon did everything to the point of hitting what many felt was a dagger in regulation. A confident heave from Curry led to the Warriors taking momentum. And they had managed to curb the biggest scoring threat.

The Joker also made history, becoming just the second player to have four triple-doubles on opening night. But the Joker couldn’t inflict his usual damage. Particularly, his shooting numbers were drastically suboptimal, as he made just eight of his 23 shots.

Nikola Jokic doesn’t mind his inefficient night vs the Warriors

The problem wasn’t scoring on the interior. Jokic made his shots there, barring the final layup. “I think it was a good chance, but I will take that shot anytime,” he said about the game-winning attempt. Where things went wrong were from beyond the arc. While Gordon hit nylon every time, Jokic connected just twice in thirteen attempts.

But he doesn’t regret his approach. “I’m happy with the three points. I think I was open, and most of them were seemed like they were going to get, but they didn’t. So I mean, I’m happy with the shots,” Jokic said about his 13 three-point attempts.

Aside from a handful of overtime desperation shots, Nikola Jokic saw clean looks. Having shot a career-high 41.7% last season, those are shots the Joker expects to make. But nobody can be perfect all the time. This was just one of those nights where the ball just refused to go in. But if defenses continue to sag, Nikola Jokic won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

Maybe the Joker could have recognized his shortcomings earlier and attacked the paint. His playmaking was spot on in the post, particularly finding Gordon. It’s just one bad game for the three-time MVP. And he still produced an effective triple-double, and lost to the magic of Stephen Curry. The Nuggets did a lot of good things throughout the game. And with it being their first game, there’s a lot of time to settle into the season for the Joker.