"They Know Who We Are": Warriors Make NBA History in Blowout Win over Denver Nuggets

The Golden State Warriors made NBA history as they scored 51 points in the first quarter on Tuesday night in a blowout win over the Denver Nuggets.

The eagerly anticipated contest between the current top two seeds in the Western Conference in Denver was a hopelessly lopsided affair, as the Warriors thrashed the Nuggets 142-111 and overtook them at the top of conference.

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No other team in the history of the league had ever scored 51 points in the first period and only five other teams had ever reached the 50-point threshold. The Syracuse Nationals did so in 1962, while the Boston Celtics and the Utah Jazz did so in 1982, with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, emulating the feat in 1989 and 1990, respectively.

Remarkably, the Nuggets were on the receiving end against the Jazz and the Suns, too.

Golden State's scoring spree in the first period came as they shot 76 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from beyond the arc as they took a 51-38 lead.

Kevin Durant scored each of his seven shots from the field for 17-first quarter points, while Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry added 13 and 12, respectively.

Durant, however, dismissed suggestion the Warriors had jumped out of the block to send a strong message to their conference rivals.

"They know who we are," the two-time NBA Finals MVP was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

According to ESPN, Stats & Information, the 51-first quarter points the Warriors scored on Tuesday night are the second-highest point tally in any quarter in franchise history, second only to the 57 they scored in the third quarter of a game against the Sacramento Kings in 1989.

Additionally, Golden State was one of three teams, along with the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers to score over 140 points on Tuesday night, the first time three NBA teams did it in the same night since January 7, 1984.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was understandably pleased with the effort, as his team extended its winning run to five games.

"Finding that balance is always what we're looking for," he said.

"That was as good as it gets for us. I don't remember a better first quarter. That was a fireworks show."

Thompson, who finished with 31 points in 25 minutes after shooting 13-for-19 from the field, echoed Kerr's stance.

"Obviously, there's not gonna be very many record-setting quarters every night, " he told ESPN.

"But it shows you what we're capable of when we're hitting on all cylinders. It's beautiful to watch, and it's more fun to be a part of."

Curry also scored 31 points, adding four assists and six rebounds, while Durant finished with 27 points, four rebounds and six assists.

The former admitted the Warriors had so far let themselves down against teams currently occupying the playoff berths in the Western Conference and suggested the win over Denver was a step towards rectifying the issue.

"We know who's been playing well—and to be honest, we haven't played as well against the playoff teams in the West," he said.

"So, this is a big night for us to continue to build momentum. We want to be able to carry this and put a nice little streak together, and we're doing it."

Following their routing of Denver, the Warriors are now 30-14, while the Nuggets are 29-14. Both teams play at home next, with Golden State hosting the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night, while Denver welcomes the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.