The Warriors Vs Nuggets matchup on Monday, Oct. 26, came with Denver installed as a 7.5-point favorite at home, a reflection of both Nikola Jokic's form and Golden State's early-season uncertainty. The ninth and final game on Monday night in the NBA also featured two teams dealing with availability concerns, but the Nuggets still entered with the clearer edge.
Before Monday, the Golden State Warriors had yet to win a game in the 2026-27 season, while the Denver Nuggets had already taken a difficult path through their first three games. Denver lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder and failed to reach 90 points before needing overtime to beat the New Orleans Pelicans. Even so, Jokic gave the Nuggets the kind of performance that keeps them in the top tier of the Western Conference clash.
Over the weekend, Jokic posted a 35-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against New Orleans. That was another reminder of how much Denver depends on him, especially when the roster is not at full strength. The Nuggets were listed as not fully healthy on Monday, with Alpha Diallo and Cameron Johnson doubtful and Spencer Jones and Julian Strawther ruled out.
Why Jokic remains the key matchup
Jokic's recent production has made him the most important player in this game and one of the clearest individual angles to watch. In his last 10 games against the Warriors, he averaged 30.5 points, 13.1 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. He also had 12 or more boards in seven of those matchups, which shows how consistently he has controlled the paint and the pace of the series.
That history matters because Golden State was already short-handed in the frontcourt, with Kristaps Porzingis out. Against a team built around Jokic's all-around impact, that kind of absence only increases the pressure on the Warriors to find answers quickly.
For Denver, the formula remains straightforward: lean on Jokic for MVP-level production and hope the rest of the rotation holds up enough to protect home court. For Golden State, the challenge is steeper. A winless start is one thing; handling a Denver team led by a player in this kind of form is another.
