Wednesday night's 112-110 loss to the Nuggets showed just how difficult the Warriors' pursuit of 73 wins will be, even at their current pace.
Reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry scored 20 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, but the 10-point deficit his team faced heading into the period was too much for even him to overcome against the lowly Nuggets (15-24).
This guy is not human. 20 points in the 4th. Warriors still trail. pic.twitter.com/w1jZkCVRLM
— Steven J. Gaither (@stevenjgaither) January 14, 2016MORE: Greatest Warriors players of all time | Westbrook, Villanueva ejected
The Warriors were playing without fatigued starting forward Draymond Green, who has arguably been the most valuable player for the defending champs at many times this season.
As great as the team has been playing, the Warriors (36-3) have shown that when one piece is missing, they are vulnerable to lesser teams.
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Golden State's first loss came in Milwaukee on Dec. 12 when forward Harrison Barnes was out and guard Klay Thompson's ankle was giving him trouble. Their next loss came in Dallas when Curry was out. Green's absence was undeniable with every bucket that Danilo Gallinari made.
The Warriors' record through 39 games is the same as that of the all-time best 1995-96 Bulls team, which went 41-3 before losing two straight to slip to 41-5. They may well win 73 games and set a record for regular-season success, but they will need to stay almost completely healthy to do so.
Studs of the Night
With no Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis having just an average night, someone had to step up for the Knicks. Derrick Williams was that guy on Wednesday, scoring 31 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Still, New York lost to the Nets 110-104.
Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka were big for the Thunder in their 108-89 win over the Mavs. Durant scored 29 points, 21 in the first half, and grabbed 10 rebounds. Ibaka scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had three blocks.
Dud of the Night
The Hawks had a bad shooting night in their 107-84 loss to the Hornets. They shot just 37 percent as a team from the field and Paul Millsap (20 points) was the only player to score in double figures.
Tweet of the Night
Well, somebody won the lottery. Sixers, you are on the clock.
Per BPI, chance of 76ers going on 12-game winning streak starting tonight is WORSE than chance of winning Powerball: 1 in 314 million
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 13, 2016Looking ahead
Cavaliers (27-9) at Spurs (34-6), 8 p.m. ET: Widely thought to be the two teams closest to catching the Warriors, both come into Thursday night’s matchup on long winning streaks (nine for the Spurs, eight for the Cavs). Should the Warriors not win the Western Conference, this could be a potential NBA Finals matchup.