If not for Barnes, this game might have been a complete blowout. The rookie was in a groove early while Golden State was facing a double-digit deficit. His shooting and scoring kept the deficit relatively manageable for his teammates to eventually step in and make a game of it.

Bogut was aggressive defensively and even gave a huge shot to Kenneth Faried after the Nuggets’ big man took some liberties with Steph Curry. Mind you, his minutes were cut short in this one as Jackson rode with the group that got him back into the game.

Jack did a decent job of creating his own shot but ball security was an issue in this one at crucial times.

Curry struggled early in the contest and even forced a few shots. He made things interesting in the fourth quarter but couldn’t do enough. He did an awful job defensively in this one, committing bad fouls that forced the Warriors to throw help his way when defending Iguodala, thus resulting in open looks for other Nuggets.

Klay performed admirably in this one with his shooting and rebounding. Defensively, he made things tough for Ty Lawson and did a good job of keeping him out of the lane.

This one was a tough call. Jackson decided to ride the group that got him back within five points and stuck with Festus Ezeli in the fourth quarter. The big man was a good presence defensively, but he committed three turnovers (moving screens) with the game hanging in the balance. Can’t blame Jackson for that, but it certainly felt as though Landry or Bogut would have been a better fit late.

Barnes was lost in the first half of the contest but rebounded in the final two periods by scoring 13 of his total 19 points. He was assertive, found the open spaces on the floor and his teammates rewarded him for it. His defense must improve though, he was late on a few rotations and left his guys out to dry.

His stat line won’t impress but his presence was certainly a huge factor. The Dubs outrebounded the Nuggets again thanks partly to Bogut. He was incredibly physical throughout the contest with Faried and kept him mostly off the glass.

The Warriors don’t win this contest without Jack, but they also win the contest relatively comfortably if not for three costly turnovers in the fourth quarter. Nonetheless, his 10-point first quarter helped keep the Dubs afloat when the game could have gotten away from them.

Steph’s decision making was questionable in this one given some of the weird fouls he committed. Offensively though, he was just as spectacular as in Game 2 and gave the Nuggets fits off the ball and in the pick-and-roll.

Thompson simply didn’t have it tonight. His individual defense was stellar at times and he spaced the floor beautifully. But his jumper betrayed him in this one and his awareness was seemingly absent based on some of his turnovers.

During the contest, ESPN aired some of Jackson’s comments to his team and they were golden. He implored his unit to attack Denver’s double-team by calling it reckless. His words certainly seemed to carry weight as they did just that and scored 110 points. The one issue with the Warriors coach: the late-game offense-defense substitutions can be problematic in terms of scheme and communication as seen on Wilson Chandler’s corner 3-pointer late in the game. It almost brought Denver back. Have to clean that up.

Lee was quite the presence offensively, especially in the second half when defended by Antawn Jamison. But sadly, his defense cost the Dubs tonight. He took poor angles against Bryant in the pick-and-roll and also allowed Pau Gasol to have his way against him.

Barnes contributed on the boards and defended Kobe Bryant on a few possessions and held his own. Mind you, he contributed next to nothing offensively.

Ezeli contributed on the boards and gave the team a semi-physical presence in the paint. But he also fouled out in a mere 16 minutes of playing time and wasn’t enough of a deterrent at the basket.

Stephen Curry was simply sensational in this one. He rained jumpers from all over the place and when the Lakers keyed in on him, he repeatedly fed his open teammates. The Dubs lost, but it wasn’t because of Curry.

Klay played under control tonight for the most part and took some really good shots. The 1-2 pick-and-roll between he and Curry resulted in a favorable matchup with Steve Blake and he burned him early and often. Also, his defense on Kobe Bryant was quite impressive.

In terms of scheme, Jackson did a lot of interesting things in this one to matchup with the Lakers. He even stole one of the Laker plays and ran it for Klay Thompson down the stretch and the guard rewarded his play calling by nailing a killer 3-pointer. But ultimately, Jackson deserves some criticism for failing to manufacture plays to free up Curry in the fourth quarter.

Lee had another 20-10 game and made life difficult for the Lakers. He finished at the rim and scored on a few post ups. The Lakers often rotated off him and he made them pay for doing as such.

Barnes showed some early confidence and attacked Kobe Bryant off the bounce to no avail. But when Jamison picked him up defensively, his eyes lit up and he beat him for scores.

Andrew Bogut’s defense was one of the biggest stories of the game. He anchored the paint, made life hell for Howard and shut down Pau Gasol when matched up with him. Also, he protected the boards and created second chance opportunities for the Dubs.

Curry committed some bad fouls and rushed a few shots but otherwise he was pretty much flawless. He answered every Laker run with a flurry of long and mid-range jumpers. Also, he was a terrific maestro all night that took advantage of the opposing defense.

Klay was simply unstoppable on this night. He ran Kobe Bryant through multiple screens and even managed to lose him on a few occasions and drill shots from downtown. Bryant had a great scoring game, but Thompson made him work for just about every point.