Russell Westbrook fuels undermanned Nuggets' win vs. Warriors - ESPN

SAN FRANCISCO — Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone considered Monday's road matchup against the Golden State Warriors to be the kind of game that reveals a lot about the psyche of players.

The Nuggets sat three starters — three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, co-star Jamal Murray and Christian Braun — because of nagging injuries against a Golden State team that entered the night with the NBA's longest winning streak.

«There's some guys who would think, 'Do I really feel like playing tonight?'» Malone said after the Nuggets pulled off a 114-105 win at Chase Center, citing Russell Westbrook and Aaron Gordon as obvious exceptions. «What you love about Russ, what you love about AG [is their mentality]: 'All right, well, next man up. There's more opportunity for me.'»

Gordon, who had missed three of the previous four games because of a sore calf, scored 38 points, his most in a Denver uniform. Westbrook had 12 points, 11 rebounds, 16 assists and 3 steals.

«That ain't nothing new,» said Westbrook, who added to his NBA record with his 203rd career triple-double. «You've seen that from me before.»

It wasn't always an artistic performance by Westbrook, who went 5-of-17 from the floor with a few air balls and committed seven turnovers, prompting Malone to crack that he nearly had a quadruple-double. But Westbrook's relentless energy and intensity set the tone for an undermanned Denver squad.

«First off, Russ is not just a dog. He's a wolf,» Gordon said. «He's different. Offensively and defensively, he's always on 10, always on 12.»

The Nuggets shot 16-of-24 on passes from Westbrook, according to ESPN Research. It was his 44th career triple-double with at least 15 assists, one shy of tying Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson for the most in NBA