No team plays more close games than the Golden State Warriors. In large part because no team has proven more capable of blowing fourth quarter leads than the Dubs.

Facing off against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, the Dubs carried a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter and had outscored Denver by 20 points in a third quarter that was one of their best stretches of action on the season. Yet, they found away to flush the game away, losing on a 120-117 buzzer-beater by Nikola Jokić.

Jokić’s shot sent NBA Twitter into a tizzy and will earn him plenty of praise, but had he missed the game was headed for overtime. The Warriors had lost all momentum in the final minutes, and showed no signs of life. Jokić simply saved Dubs Nation from watching a lifeless effort in overtime.

The Warriors were outcoached in the fourth quarter. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone shifted Jokić onto Chris Paul, allowing him to play free safety on defense. Curry tried isolating on Aaron Gordon, but the All-Star wing’s length and athleticism was stifling. The Dubs tried having Paul initiate some offense for Klay Thompson, but that was unable to open things up.

Andrew Wiggins was on the floor as well, getting the nod over Jonathan Kuminga in the closing minutes for no clear reason. Kuminga had scored 16 points in 19 minutes of action, had 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and had a +6 plus/minus.

Wiggins had been solid off the bench, but had far from flashed taking over the game. Despite Kuminga in the starting lineup and Wiggins benched, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr continues to give his veterans the edge in tight games.

It was clearly the wrong decision on Thursday.

Veterans, particularly those on the Warriors with championship accolades, are supposed to have the edge in closing games. They are supposed to have that extra instinct and push to get across the finish line. But Golden State has been blowing leads all season. Often with older players on the court at the expense of youth. There was perhaps an added insult to injury that Malone stuck with young Peyton Watson to close the game.

Though Jackson-Davis sat for the first 8.5 minutes, rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis did see some action in the fourth quarter. However, with the referees frequently calling fouls, Kuminga’s physical driving ability certainly seemed like a potential remedy for the Warriors’ offensive and rebounding woes.

Curry finished with 30 points on 11-for-23 shooting with 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 turnovers, one of which came on the penultimate possession and setup Jokić for his game-winning shot. Despite fading late, Thompson had another good overall performance as well, scoring 25 points on 18 shots.

Especially in the third quarter, Podziemski and Dario Saric provided reliable attacking sparks off the bench. In 23 minutes, they each scored 13 points, with Šarić contributing 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

Of course, with 34 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists, Jokic led the way for Denver. Despite his outstanding defensive play, Gordon was a surprising second fiddle, finishing with 30 points and 9 rebounds. Additionally, Jamal Murray added 25.

The Detroit Pistons will now play the Dallas Stars at Chase Center tomorrow night. They’ll try to keep fan morale from plunging even lower.