TWO nights after an emotional win in Kevin Durant’s return to Oklahoma City, Golden State couldn’t dig out of a 28-point, third-quarter hole as it fell to the depleted Nuggets, 132-110.

    An inspired rally orchestrated by reserves couldn’t stave off just the Warriors’ second loss in its past 10 games.

    Long one of its biggest strengths, Golden State’s perimeter defense was as porous as it has been as Denver netted an NBA-record-tying 24 three-pointers Monday. Six Golden State players finished with between 14 and 27 points on a night Curry shot just 4-of-18 from the field and 1-of-11 from beyond the arc.

    Saturday night, in front of a national TV audience at Chesapeake Energy Arena, Durant withstood cupcake chants, not-safe-for-work signs and a near-scuffle with former teammate Andre Roberson to lead the Warriors to a 130-114 win. It was an exhausting affair that had been seven months in the making.

    After a day off, Golden State arrived at Pepsi Center for a game that had all the makings of a letdown. The Warriors were still recovering emotionally from perhaps its most personal matchup of the season. Denver, narrowly clinging to the No. 8 seed, was fighting for a spot in the playoffs. It only seemed to hurt that six of its rotation players, including two of its top three scorers, were sidelined by various injuries.

    Though Golden State was without Klay Thompson (sore right foot) and Shaun Livingston (paternity leave), it appeared poised to again rout a team it had hung a combined 252 points on in two previous games this season. Speaking to reporters 90 minutes before tip-off, Nuggets head coach Mike Malone even conceded that he was hoping for the Warriors to have an off night.

    His off-hand comment soon became prophetic. In the ultimate break from its blueprint, Golden State gave up a flurry of driving lanes and clanked three-pointer after three-pointer. Denver rookie Juancho Hernangomez, who entered the night averaging 3.8 points in 11.5 minutes, poured in 17 of his 27 points in the first half. By the time the Warriors headed to intermission trailing by 25, they had surrendered 16 three-pointers.

    The opening three quarters featured a slew of head-scratching Golden State bloopers. There was Curry’s pass in transition that nailed JaVale McGee in the head, the timeout burned when James Michael McAdoo couldn’t inbound the ball and, of course, Curry’s air ball.

    In the fourth quarter, a cast of Warriors bench players engineered a startling rally that trimmed their deficit to 111-100 with 7:05 left. In a sign of trust for those unheralded reserves, Steve Kerr opted to keep his All-Stars on the bench. (SD-Agencies)