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The first article I wrote for PTR was in March 2014, which as you probably remember, was a pretty good year for the Spurs. It’s been a while, and most of the seasons that I’ve been here, the last game thread of the season is where I say goodbye for the summer
and give thanks to my readers and my colleagues here at Pounding The Rock. I certainly am thankful for all of you, but we’re not done yet, and the Spurs are looking at a long playoff run this season, after not reaching the playoffs since the 2018-2019 season, where they lost in the first round to the … wait for it … DENVER NUGGETS!
This season has been so much fun, and the fun continues in about a week with a matchup against either the Trail Blazers, the Suns, or the Clippers. If the Blazers win tonight, the Clippers get knocked off of that list, as the Spurs’ opponent will be the winner of the play-in game between the 7th and 8th seeds in the west, which would be the Suns and Blazers. I feel pretty confident that the Spurs can beat any of the three eligible teams in a 7 game series and advance to the second round.
In the likely event that the Spurs advance, their opponent in the second round will likely be the third-seeded team, which will be either the Lakers or the Nuggets. If the Nuggets win tonight, they will be third, but a Nuggets loss combined with a Lakers win over the tanking Kings could lead to second round matchup of Lakers vs Spurs, which should be a more favorable matchup for the Silver and Black, and a ratings bonanza for the networks.
With both teams resting player for the season finale, this game is hard to predict, but Jokic will be playing in order to log his 65th game to satisfy the league’s stupid policy that players must play too many games to qualify for awards. Jokic is the Denver system, and can elevate players around him, so they’re a dangerous team even with Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, and Christian Braun out. Wemby has a similar effect on the game, but with both him and Castle listed as questionable, the remaining Nuggets could be a tougher opponent than Cooper Flagg and a bunch of guys1.
I’m looking for another great night from De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper as they knock the Nuggets down a notch (literally) in the standings. The Spurs can get their 63rd win and also knock the Nuggets out of their side of the playoff bracket as belated payback for the 2019 playoffs. Make it so, Coach Mitch, and also, let’s keep everyone healthy. GO SPURS GO!
- That’s an exaggeration: Khris Middleton and Max Christie are really good players, and AJ Johnson had a nice night off of the bench
Game Prediction:
Harrison Barnes scores 25 as the Spurs make history with eight players averaging double digit scoring for the season.
San Antonio Spurs vs Denver Nuggets
April 12, 2026 | 7:30 PM CT
Streaming: ESPN App
TV: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Southwest
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