Coming off a tough win against the Boston Celtics, the Spurs battled the Denver Nuggets. It was announced before the game that Victor Wembanyama would not play due to ankle soreness. Nonetheless, the Spurs dominated the first half. They outscored the Nuggets 37-25 in the first quarter, led by as much as 20 points, and took a 14-point lead into halftime. However, the Nuggets’ offense began to wake up in the third. They outscored the Spurs 41-37 in the third and embarked on a 14-0 run in the fourth.
The Spurs were ice cold shooting from three, outscored 42-25, and could not stop the onslaught brought on by Jamal Murray. The Spurs ultimately lost 136-131.
Stephon Castle led the way with a triple-double: 30 points (4-8 3PT, 12-13 FT), 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. This is Steph’s 3rd triple-double of the season. His four threes tied a season high from December 23rd against the OKC Thunder. Without Wemby, Steph was aggressive on offense. He drained 12 of his 13 free throws and dished out double-digit dimes for the 11th time this season. He had the tough assignment of guarding Murray, and he defended well in the first half. However, Murray caught fire in the fourth and was able to score on multiple defenders. Nonetheless, a performance like the one Steph put on shows his skyward potential for the 21-year-old.
AND-ONE! Steph drives on Christian Braun, and he uses his patience for the tough and-one finish off the backboard!
Here’s the reverse angle!
Lob City Dimer! After Devin Vassell forces the Denver turnover, Steph finds a cutting Julian Champagnie for the alley-oop connection!
ST3PH CASTL3! Steph drains the catch-and-shoot three from the corner!
De’Aaron Fox dropped 27 points (10-19 FG), nine assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Just like Steph, Fox was aggressive on offense. Besides dropping a near double-double, Fox drained four threes and got into the paint off of P&R’s and iso plays. He also picked pockets on defense. After playing well all game, Fox missed a crucial three-point attempt late and attempted to lock down Murray late in the game down by three. Unfortunately, he was called for a foul when Murray was clearly about to go out of bounds. Nonetheless, the two-time all-star will continue to play fast as the season dwindles.
SPLASHTOWN! Fox drains the three from the corner early in the first!
Quick trigger! Fox catches the inbounds pass and drains another corner three!
Harrison Barnes returned from injury and dropped 20 points (6-10 FG, 6-7 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal. After missing the last five games due to an ankle injury, HB returned with a bang. This is his first 20+ game since December 23rd against OKC. He played 27 minutes, which is his most since February 1st. Clearly, Mitch Johnson wanted HB to get extra burn after a week off. The 33-year-old will look to continue contributing to this young, contending squad as the playoffs are a month away.
Old man hustle! HB tracks down the loose ball and drives into the paint with a fake and a slam!
Another angle? Yes please!
Devin Vassell dropped 18 points, three assists, two steals, and a rebound. It was not a 35-point explosion with seven threes like the last time Dev played the Nuggets, but he did have a near 20-point game thanks to four threes. He started hot, but cooled down in the fourth. As one of the x-factors on the team, Dev also played excellent off-ball defense, especially forcing steals on passes to Nikola Jokic. The two-way wing will continue to be a willing defender and knockdown shooter.
Dylan Harper dropped 13 points (6-12 FG), five rebounds, five assists, and a block. The rookie guard made the most of his 24 minutes, finishing with the highest plus/minus on the team with +9. With Castle and Fox combining for 57 points and 19 assists, Dyl did not play after the four-minute mark in the fourth. It remains to be seen if Mitch Johnson will play all three guards together in the fourth quarter, but for now, Dyl will continue to be a spark plug combo guard off the bench.
Block to assist! After swatting Braun’s shot attempt on one end, Dyl finds Steph for a side corner three-ball!
Get out and run! On the fastbreak, Fox finds a running Dyl, and he zooms past everyone for the easy layup off the glass!
Carter Bryant dropped 10 points (4-6 FG), three rebounds, and an assist in just nine minutes. The rookie wing came to play and capitalized on his playing time, or lack thereof. He played fearlessly in the paint and hustled on both ends, including playing great defense on Jokic. Despite having the second-highest plus/minus with +7, Carter only played nine minutes. A clear explanation would be the return of Barnes. It will be curious to see how Mitch Johnson manages HB and CB’s minutes during the last month of the regular season.
VET MOVES! CB tracks down the offensive rebound and takes it back into Jokic in the paint for the tough finish!
Sniper! CB knocks down the three from near the top of the key off the pick and fade!
In what would have been an outstanding statement win without their best player, this young team relinquished the lead they held for most of the game to a seasoned, contending team. The one-two punch of Jokic and Murray did most of their damage in the fourth, as it was clear a certain alien-like figure was missing in the paint that could have disrupted the Nuggets’ offensive game plan. Nonetheless, this team has defeated the Nuggets without Wemby before, so a loss like this only prepares them for their rematch in April.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs continue their homestand this Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets at 2:30 P.M. (CST) on Prime Video/FDSN-SW.
