San Antonio vs. Denver, Final Score: Nuggets overwhelm Spurs in overtime, 111-122
01/04/2025 10:49 PM
The Spurs weren't able to give Wemby his desired birthday present of a win.
For the second straight night, the Spurs took on the Denver Nuggets in a thriller, this time in San Antonio. After a tight first half that ended with the Spurs up one, they seemed to gain control after starting the second half with a 14-3 run, but unfortunately, the shots stopped falling as the were running out of gas as the Nuggets slowly ground their way back into the game before taking the lead late. Devin Vassell was able to force overtime by tipping his own miss back in with 14 seconds left, but the Spurs had nothing left to give in OT, losing
Harrison Barnes led six Spurs in double figures with 22 points, while Victor Wembanyama had an inefficient 20 points, 23 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks. Nikola Jokic had his second straight game over 40 with 46 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds, and Michael Porter, Jr. got hot for 28 points.
Observations
- After foul trouble was an issue for the Spurs yesterday, it was a theme again early today. Both Jamal Murray and Wemby had to sit with two fouls less than four minutes in, and they were of the light variety. Wemby's first foul was away the ball while he and Jokic jostled for position, and the second was getting his legs tangled with Russell Westbrook after a steal. Murray's second foul was light contact on a Devin Vassell drive that Michael Malone challenged, and even Sean Elliott thought it would be successful, but the refs saw just enough to uphold the call. Four minutes later, Collins had two fouls, and Charles Bassey was brought in. Jokic is a foul magnet (and not the annoying kind like Joel Embiid).
- Westbrook has been an interesting problem for Wemby in these two games. He's feisty, handsy, and not above trying to poke the bear. He has always been a good defender, and it took Wemby time in both games to realize that he couldn't put the ball down low and expect to be able to face up against Westbrook without being stripped. Putting a feisty guard on Wemby was interesting and somewhat effective strategy by Malone (and probably a good idea to keep Jokic out of foul trouble), and it will be interesting to see if more coaches try the same approach.
- When Harrison Barnes is scoring, the Spurs offense opens up. He's such a steadying presence, and his hot start to the second half opened the game up after a tight first half. He scored the Spurs' first 11 points, including hitting 3-3 threes, and then found Vassell for a three to cap off a 14-3 run.
- Tre Jones appears to be finding his form again. After dealing with ankle and shoulder injuries this season, he hasn't quite had his signature speed until the last few games. For the second game in a row, he integral in helping push the pace while he was in, and he was able drive right by the Nuggets' defense for several layups — his signature play.
- Depth has been a notable issue for the Nuggets this season, but the Spurs' bench hasn't exactly been lighting it on fire this season — until recently. For the second game in a row, the Spurs' bench owned the Nuggets, outscoring them 43-18 for a total of 80-31 between both games. Unfortunately, it didn't lead to a win tonight since, outside of Barnes, the starters had a poor offensive night.
The Spurs are headed right back out on the road for another 4-game trip, beginning against the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Tip-off will be at 7:00 PM CT on FanDuel Sports.
