Stephen Curry rescues Warriors from shock Aaron Gordon explosion in home opener

The Golden State Warriors have overcome a shock career night from Aaron Gordon to deliver victory in their home opener against the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center on Thursday night.

Gordon went for a career-high 50 points on an astonishing 10-of-11 shooting from 3-point range, but Curry rescued the Warriors down the stretch in a thrilling 137-131 overtime victory against their Western Conference foe.

Stephen Curry rescued the Warriors in a thrilling overtime win over the Nuggets

Curry had 42 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 37 minutes, shooting 14-of-25 from the floor and 6-of-12 from 3-point range. The 2x MVP twice tied the game with threes in the final 90 seconds, including on Golden State's final possession in regulation after Gordon's 10th triple gave Denver back the lead.

Gordon went a perfect 7-of-7 from beyond the arc in the first-half, then quickly flipped the game back in the Nuggets favor early in the fourth-quarter after the Warriors had gained momentum in the second-half.

It was a remarkable performance from the veteran forward, only for Curry to steal the show in the final minutes of regulation and in overtime. Curry wasn't alone though, with important buckets from Al Horford and Jonathan Kuminga coming in overtime before Jimmy Butler hit the dagger three with 40 seconds remaining.

Following a dominant 31-point performance against the Lakers on opening night, Butler added another 21 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals in nearly 39 minutes.

Steve Kerr closed with Curry, Butler, Kuminga, Draymond Green and Horford as part of a big lineup that got it done down the stretch. Kuminga put in another strong shift which finished with 14 points, five rebounds and three assists, while also coming up with a couple of massive defensive plays in the final moments.

Horford had his first pivotal game in a Golden State jersey, going for 13 points on 3-of-4 3-point shooting in 29 minutes to further prove the value in his offseason signing. Green did his usual bit of everything with 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, with his and Horford's defense on Nikola Jokic proving decisive in the result.

The 3x MVP did have a 21-point, 13-rebound, 10-assists triple double, but it came on only 8-of-23 shooting from the floor and 2-of-13 from 3-point range. Jamal Murray also had 25 points and 10 assists, with the Nuggets pouring in 70 first-half points and shooting 53.7% for the game.

The Warriors again got a massive advantage at the free-throw line largely thanks to Butler, while they also committed just eight turnovers and grabbed three more offensive rebounds in a remarkable back-and-forth game.

All eyes will now be on how many of Golden State's veterans travel to Portland for Friday's second night of a back-to-back, with Horford already a confirmed absence against the Trail Blazers.