The Nuggets trailed by as many as 20 points but rallied for a wild 136-131 win over the Spurs on Thursday night, improving to 41-26 this season with a 34-12 run during the fourth quarter.
After wins over Houston and San Antonio, they’re back in a three-way tie for third place in the crowded Western Conference as they prepare for a vital game Saturday at the Lakers. Denver has now clinched potential two-way tiebreakers over the Rockets and Timberwolves, but Saturday’s clash will decide the season series with Los Angeles after a split of the first two meetings.
Spencer Jones sparks it…
Jonas Valanciunas has struggled recently to impose his size against smaller lineups, and Denver hasn’t been able to consistently get him low-post touches. Defensively, options have been limited with him anchoring the second unit. After another minus-eight stint in the second quarter Thursday, the Nuggets went away from Valanciunas in the fourth.
Instead, David Adelman played small-ball with Jones at the five. Jones proceeded to score eight of Denver’s points during a 14-2 run without Jokic, trimming the deficit to 109-108. De’Aaron Fox steadied San Antonio’s ship with a pair of midrange buckets, prompting Adelman to use a timeout and get Jokic back on the floor with 8:23 left.
Denver didn’t relinquish momentum. Jones continued to finish plays from Jokic in the paint and along the baseline throughout the fourth. Starting in place of Aaron Gordon, who was out for hamstring maintenance on the back-to-back, Jones finished with 19 points, two steals and two blocks.
…Jamal Murray finishes it
It had been a shaky night for Murray. The Spurs were hunting him on the defensive end. Offensively, his jump shot was off. He had nine points at halftime. Tired legs would’ve been a suitable excuse on a multi-city back-to-back. The Nuggets had arrived at their San Antonio hotel past 3 a.m. local time Thursday after beating Houston at home.
But Murray is the quintessential tale-of-two-halves player. He went off for 30 in the second half, including 16 in the fourth quarter on a barrage of tough shot-making to take the torch from Jones. With 4:39 remaining, Murray knocked down a step-back 3-pointer on a broken possession to give the Nuggets their first lead. Nikola Jokic had taken a shot to the face at the other end and was slow to get up and join the play. Eight players were waiting for him to catch up. Murray took advantage of the lull.
The All-Star guard also scored six points in the last minute to hold off San Antonio’s last push. He’s been plagued by untimely missed free throws this season, but he made four late in this one to keep the lead at two possessions.
Spurs are more than Wemby
If it wasn’t clear by now, their guard play is some of the best in the NBA. Jokic wasn’t the only player with a 30-point triple-double (31, 20 and 12) on Thursday. Stephon Castle, drafted fourth overall a year after Victor Wembanyama, amassed 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the loss.
As much attention as Oklahoma City rightfully receives for being Denver’s biggest, baddest adversary in the West, San Antonio might also be a particularly rough matchup for the Nuggets in a series. Their defense tends to struggle to contain quick guards from getting downhill, and their offense is usually tested most formidably by athletic point-of-attack wings who are eager to pressure the ball. Castle, Fox, Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper are a lot to handle, on top of how Wembanyama forces Jokic to think about the game a completely different way.
The Nuggets still haven’t gotten to face Wembanyama this season. They’re 1-1 head-to-head against the Spurs, with two matchups still to come in April. They’ll finish the regular season in San Antonio with what could be a pivotal game for playoff seeding.