Do The Nuggets Have The Spurs’ Number?

The San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets dueled in the Mile High on Saturday afternoon; a back-and-forth game that went down into overtime. In what could be called the best game of the season, two MVP candidates duked it out, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama both continuing to elevate their cases for the award. After gaining a comfortable lead at halftime, San Antonio lost their first game since March 12 in a nail-biter.

That loss was also to the Nuggets, who are now up 2-1 in the regular season series.

Victor Wembanyama, Spurs’ 11-Game Win Streak Broken By Nikoka Jokic’s Nuggets

Who Won The Duel?

Jokic had his best game in a month. Scoring 40 points and dishing out an impressive 13 assists, Jokic had an unusual three blocks (he averages 0.8 per game). In fact, Jokic’s 13 assists helps to solidify his current record-setting feat of leading the league in assists and rebounds. Not only did he win the game, he exceeded his already legendary standard of impact on the game. For comparison, Wembanyama put up 34 points and 18 boards with five blocks.

As usual, the one-on-one matchups between the world’s best big men were chess-like. Both players used their size to draw fouls. The best interactions came with Jokic in the paint on offense. He had success early on, getting scoop layups on Wembanyama. Later, Wembanyama found Jokic’s timing in the paint and blocked his shot late in the game, almost making it a decisive moment.

As previously alluded to, Jokic had a fantastic game on defense, defying the narrative. Throughout the game he proved he can do anything, and he looked comfortable doing it as well. Despite not having the paint presence that Wemby has, the Spurs were not looking to attack him in the paint, focusing on corner shooting instead.

Do The Nuggets Have The Spur’s Number?

How worried should the Spurs be about a potential playoff series against the Nuggets? Denver offers San Antonio their hardest challenge in the West. Holding a winning record over the Spurs, the Nuggets are the only Western Conference contender who can claim such a feat.

Though the Spurs are a very well-rounded team, Jokic sets the Nuggets apart because he presents a unique challenge. As seen in Saturday’s game, putting Wembanyama one-on-one with Jokic can have mixed results. The biggest concern is Wembanyama getting in foul trouble. This leads them to potentially try zone or doubling Jokic. This takes away their defensive versatility and could result in leaving excellent shooters open in the corners.

Jamal Murray is the x-factor in this matchup. Playing inconsistently over the years since winning the title, Murray has seemingly returned to championship level play. When these two players play their best, it is difficult for any team to guard them.

At the other end, Denver is also a good match for San Antonio’s size and athleticism. The Nuggets have quietly built up their own versatile defense with tall, agile players who can guard multiple positions.

The Last Word On The Spurs-Nuggets Matchup

The Spurs had led almost the entire game until the Nuggets pulled ahead in overtime. They have a chance to tie up the season series at home, in what will be their last game of the regular season.

Having a younger team, there are many questions that San Antonio won’t know until the playoffs.

Top amongst those? Will they be able to wear down Denver? Can they learn quickly enough from their mistakes?