The Golden State Warriors are preparing for Stephen Curry to join them soon. In the meantime, Steve Kerr wants his team to build good habits. That message seemed to get lost during one possession against the Denver Nuggets. The Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski drew the ire of his teammate and head coach because of one selfish play.

It came at a pivotal time in the game. The Warriors lost a 13-point lead, staring at a tie game in the third quarter. One good play would have them control momentum. Podziemski had the chance to find a wide-open Kristaps Porzingis for a triple. But instead, the young guard took a floater, leading to an easy fast break bucket for Denver.

Just like that, the Warriors’ chance at keeping their advantage was gone. And Steve Kerr was visibly upset with Podziemski’s decision-making. Kerr was animated on the sidelines, clearly telling Brandin Podziemski to find a pass in that situation. The Warriors guard decided to take a tough spot in spite of having a reliable perimeter threat wide open.

It was one of the moments of the game that saw the Warriors lose their grip on a 13-point lead.

That being said, Brandin Podziemski did have another decent outing. The Warriors guard scored 23 points while hitting five three-pointers. Kristaps Porzingis almost put up identical numbers, hitting all five of his shots from beyond the arc. The duo combined for 46 points. That was the Warriors’ primary offense. The rest of the team, outside of them, combined to make just 19 field goals.

The Warriors only scored 40 points in the second half. While they went cold, the Nuggets’ offense picked up life. It’s no surprise that it was Nikola Jokic once again who guided Denver to a comeback win.

Nikola Jokic’s complete display too heavy for the Warriors

The Nuggets weren’t having the best day against the Warriors. The team averaging the most points in the NBA scored just 46 in the first half. They looked destined for an upset. That’s when Nikola Jokic stepped in. All it took was one third quarter for the Joker to turn the game around.

Jokic didn’t try to force anything. He recorded a modest stat line of 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists. But almost half of that work came in the third quarter. The Nuggets scored their most points in that period, with the three-time MVP leading a 25-8 run that put the game to rest.

In that short span, Nikola Jokic dished out three quick assists and scored four points. The Nuggets outscored the Warriors 40-21, completing a turnaround. That little bit of rhythm set the stage for the Nuggets offense to show its true colors. They scored 70 points in the second half and made 19 threes for the game.

Their defense was equally commendable. The Warriors found success with their crisp ball movement in the first half. The Nuggets took that away, forcing seven turnovers against just 11 assists in the second half.

They did what Steve Kerr expected from the Warriors when he lashed out at Podziemski. The Nuggets trusted the weapons they had, and made the most out of them. Tim Hardaway Jr., Julian Strawther, and Bruce Brown combined for 28 in the second half. In comparison, the Warriors’ bench contributed just 12 points.

The Nuggets snapped the Warriors’ three-game win streak. This was also one of the first of the many tough matchups to follow for the Warriors. They play the Spurs, Cavaliers, and Rockets over their next three games. Likewise, Kerr only has a few days to instill winning principles into the Warriors.