The Denver Nuggets knew there was far more on the line than bragging rights when facing the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, entering the game only a half-game ahead of the two-time defending champions. Will Barton quickly grasped the fact that this game was no ordinary one for the Warriors, according to Harrison Wind of BSN Denver:

Barton: “I kind of feel like they were trying to send us a message.”

Wind: “That they’re two-time defending champs?

Barton: “Definitely.”

Draymond Green alluded to the same during his postgame interview with Kerith Burke of NBC Sports Bay Area when asked if this served as a reminder that they were the ones holding the title:

“Oh they know,” said Green. “Trust me, they know.”

Green's scoring has yet to show any consistency, but his playmaking has been brilliant in the last four games, racking up 37 assists after Tuesday's season high of 13, while only committing five turnovers.

The Nuggets managed to somewhat keep pace despite a record-breaking first quarter offensive output from the Warriors, but were quickly down 19 points at the half and simply could not recover from the onslaught.

Denver handed Golden State its first loss of the season during a slower 100-98 win. With the season series now tied at one apiece, the next two games (Mar. 8 and Apr. 2) will be played at Oracle Arena, likely holding the key for a potential playoff tiebreaker if the two teams continue on the same path.