The Golden State Warriors spent two games without Stephen Curry in late December, splitting the pair in a respectable but clearly shorthanded showing without one of the best players in the NBA. Wednesday saw Golden State play its first game of the season without the rested Draymond Green , and the result proved once again that Curry and Green are Nos. 1 and 1A when it comes to assessing the most important players on the league's best team. [ Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball] The Warriors fell 112-110 to the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center, bringing the defending champions' record to 36-3. Despite serious second-half struggles, the Warriors had two chances to go ahead in the final seconds of regulation. Trailing 109-102 with all of a minute remaining, scored five points in 23 seconds (including a 33-footer from Curry) to set up a key defensive possession. That ended with an Andre Iguodala block of Danilo Gallinari, giving the visitors 14 seconds to win or tie. Yet Curry, who had been stellar the entire fourth quarter, lost the ball while trying to find space against the defending Gallo: Two free throws from Gary Harris appeared to seal the...