OAKLAND, Calif. - The Golden State Warriors recorded their first win of 2016 on Saturday night, but it was hard to find a smile anywhere in the building afterward.

In a game that saw Golden State star Stephen Curry sit out the second half with a recurring leg injury and Denver Nuggets power forward Kenneth Faried get carted off the floor on a stretcher at the end, the Warriors blew a 26-point lead before recovering for a 111-108 overtime victory.

Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson split the defense for a driving hoop with 15.6 seconds remaining in the extra session, breaking a tie and propelling Golden State to its 16th straight home win this year and 34th in a row bridging the last two seasons.

"It was ugly," assured Thompson, who had missed three straight shots, including two in overtime, before his game-winner. "Not every win is going to be pretty."

Surely, the most disturbing scene was Faried, his neck in a brace, getting placed on a stretcher as the teams were leaving the floor.

He was taken to an Oakland hospital as a "precaution," is how the Nuggets labeled it, after taking a blow to the back of the neck in a collision with teammate Will Barton on Thompson's game-winner.

"Obviously anytime you're dealing with a neck or back, it's scary," Nuggets point guard Jameer Nelson said. "Nobody did anything intentional. Hopefully he's good."

Faried had been a driving force in the Denver comeback. He finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, nine of which came on the offensive end as the Nuggets amassed 24 offensive boards and outscored the Warriors 17-3 on second-chance points.

Curry, meanwhile, played 14 1/2 minutes in the first half, helping Golden State build a 63-47 lead.

But he didn't return to the court for the second half after his lower left leg, which had kept him out of the Warriors' previous two games, tightened up a bit.

"He'll be all right," Thompson insisted. "It's only January. You'd rather be safe than sorry."

Thompson's big hoop came after Faried had banked in a tightly contested eight-footer with 33.3 seconds remaining, forging a 108-108 tie.

Barton, Denver's second-leading scorer with 21 points, had two subsequent chances to tie the game.

First, he misfired on a running 5-footer and Thompson, fouled after Warriors backup center Marreese Speights snatched the rebound, increased the Golden State lead to 111-108 by making one of two free throws with 6.9 seconds left.

Barton then got Denver's final shot, but couldn't connect on a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer.

"I'm very proud of the fact we were able to come back, force overtime and come up a little bit short on the road against the world champs," Nuggets coach Michael Malone observed. "So proud of the effort."

Power forward Draymond Green recorded a 29-point, 17-rebound, 14-assist triple-double for the Warriors, whose 34-game home winning streak matches the fifth-best of all-time.

The Warriors complete a two-game homestand Monday against Charlotte.

"You come to expect whatever is needed (from Green)," Warriors interim coach Luke Walton gushed. "Some nights it's his playmaking. Some nights it's his toughness. Some nights it's his scoring ...

"Scoring, rebounding and playmaking. We needed all of it. Look at that (stat) line. That's as good as it gets."

Thompson finished with 26 points despite 2-for-9 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc, and backup guard Ian Clark had 15 for Golden State (31-2).

Curry shot just 2-for-6, missing four of his five 3-point attempts, during a five-point, four-assist first half.

Forward Danilo Gallinari, returning from a sprained left ankle, led Denver with 24 points. Nelson added 20.

The Warriors led 37-11 at one point after a 21-2 opening flurry during which Green bombed in four straight 3-pointers.

But the Nuggets (12-22), who brought a four-game losing streak to town, outscored the Warriors in each of the next three quarters, finally drawing even at 102 on a layup by Barton with nine-tenths of a second remaining in regulation.

The Warriors, who suited up only nine players for the game, finished with just seven after Curry couldn't continue and center Andrew Bogut fouled out.

"That's who we are," Green said of the short-handed effort. "We're not a team that makes excuses. After losing the lead, we could have put our heads down. But we fought through it.

"That was a championship effort."

NOTES: Nuggets coach Michael Malone had little to say about the PF Kenneth Faried injury, noting, "I'm waiting to hear what happened. I'm not sure what happened." ... The Warriors sold out their 150th consecutive home game, the seventh-longest active streak in the NBA. ... Warriors interim coach Luke Walton found out at the morning shootaround that he'd once again be replacing coach Steve Kerr, whose season debut could come as early as Monday against Charlotte. ... SF Harrison Barnes (ankle) and C Festus Ezeli (toe) were among the six Warriors who did not suit up for the game. ... Warriors first-round pick Kevon Looney (hip) has been cleared to begin workouts and is expected to join the Warriors' NBA Developmental League affiliate in Santa Cruz (Calif.) in the next couple of weeks. ... Nuggets coach Michael Malone indicated before the game that injured PG Emmanuel Mudiay (ankle) could be ready to return to game action by the end of next week. The rookie missed his 11th consecutive game Saturday. ... Nuggets C Jusuf Nurkic (knee) made his season debut Saturday, recording three points and two rebounds in five minutes.