Lendeborg scores 31 as Warriors top Nuggets 134-114 for first win

Golden State opened its win column Monday night.

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, from Michigan, scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Warriors past the Denver Nuggets 134-114. The win kept Golden State from starting 0-4 for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Lendeborg entered the game averaging 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds. He shot 9 of 19 from the field, including 1 of 8 from three-point range, and made 12 of 13 free throws.

The Warriors shot 54.1 percent from the floor and made 22 of their 44 three-point attempts. They also held a 50-36 edge on the boards over Denver. Stephen Curry scored 21 of his 24 points after halftime. He went 8 for 8 from the field in that stretch to help Golden State pull away. Brandin Podziemski added 18 points and finished with a plus-33 rating. Curry, Draymond Green and Podziemski all returned to the lineup after missing the previous game in Phoenix.

Nikola Jokic posted 19 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists for Denver. He came out with 3:33 remaining and the Nuggets trailing by 21. Denver gave up 74 points in the second half. DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points for the Nuggets.

Aaron Gordon picked up two technical fouls in the fourth quarter and was ejected. He finished with seven points.

Jokic had spoken out after fans booed during Saturday's home opener, when Denver fell behind by 23 before beating New Orleans 141-135 in overtime. Some fans left early Monday as the game started late. The Nuggets played without Alpha Diallo (wrist), Cameron Johnson (ankle), Spencer Jones (hamstring) and Julian Strawther (knee).