Holding serve in the non-Jokic minutes can be the difference between chasing a game and managing it. That kind of big-man— Big Val— basketball is mandatory if the Nuggets want to survive stretches against top-tier opponents. Every contender needs reliable relief for its superstar.

Despite scoring a career-high 50 points, Aaron Gordon was not in a celebratory mood after the Denver Nuggets lost 137-131 to the Golden State Warriors in overtime on Thursday.

The Denver Nuggets opened their season against the Golden State Warriors and lost a thriller 137-131. The game had everything you want as a fan of hoops.

In what nearly ended up as a Denver Nuggets season opener road win vs. the Golden State Warriors, wound up turning in the other direction in the final minutes of the fourth quarter on a Steph Curry game-tying three with less than 30 seconds to go, sending the game to overtime, which spiraled into an eventual 131-137 loss for Denver.

Thursday's NBA action continues with the Golden State Warriors hosting the Denver Nuggets. NBA season schedule, start time and where to watch.

The NBA's best all-around player faces the greatest 3-point shooter in league history on Thursday, Oct. 23, as Nikola Jokic leads the Denver Nuggets against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. This will be the season opener for Jokic and Co., while Curry and the Warriors are 1-0 after beating the Lakers on Tuesday.