Hours before the Warriors tipped off against the Nuggets, an active player and active coach were arrested in a sports gambling sting.

Steve Kerr made the ballsy move to go with the lineup that got the Warriors the victory over the Nuggets on Thursday.

Butler is the rare player whose journey has taken him from being a benchwarmer during his rookie season to becoming a team's primary option — a role that he flourished in with the Heat, where he averaged 21.0 points on 49.8 percent shooting, 6.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.

"They're asking if I wanted the game ball, and no, I don't want the game ball," Gordon said after a 137-131 overtime loss to the Warriors.

Jimmy Butler III shows he's got it in Game 1, Luka Dončić begins to take the baton and Jonathan Kuminga slots right in.

During his postgame news conference, Butler made the amusing admission that his free-throw production may be under additional pressure this season. The veteran forward admitted that he's made a bet with Draymond Green that he will end the season with a better free-throw percentage than superstar guard Stephen Curry.

BOTTOM LINE: Denver faces Golden State in Western Conference action Thursday. Golden State finished 48-34 overall and 29-23 in Western Conference action a season ago. The Warriors averaged 19.7 points off of turnovers, 15.6 second-chance points and 43.6 bench points last season.