The depleted Denver Nuggets beat the Jimmy Butler-era Golden State Warriors 114–105 at the Chase Center on Monday night. It was the Warriors' first loss in over two weeks, but despite the victory it was a bad look for the Nuggets, and not only because Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray sat out.
But also because they both committed and allowed flagrant breaking of the unwritten rules. After taking control of the ball with 26 seconds remaining and a 10-point lead, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson scored a basket when he could have just dribbled out the shot clock.
And then they sat back and watched the Warriors' Moses Moody not only take a wide-open three, but grab his own rebound and shoot another three when he could have dribbled out the game clock.
Rather than get upset, Nikola Jokic clapped from the bench and not a single player pushed an opponent for these transgressions. On either team! Everyone was just O.K. with these completely insignificant and harmless things happening on both ends of the court.
This has not always been the case. A fight nearly broke out last season when the Warriors took a shot while there was a difference between the game and shot clock at the end of a win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Steve Kerr made the Warriors' stance on things clear last week after Jimmy Butler made a meaningless jumper near the end of a win over the Blazers, saying that the Warriors shoot in that situation rather than take a turnover.
It's a refreshing stance to see taken in professional sports and hopefully they keep that same energy going forward.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Warriors, Nuggets Broke Unwritten Rule at End of Game and No Fights Broke Out.
