Grades: San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets – Game #76
Blake Wesley played really well against the Nuggets (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs snapped their five-game losing streak by defeating the Nuggets in Denver. The win improved the Spurs to 32-44.
With both teams on the second night of a back-to-back, a lot of key players were watching from the sidelines. The Nuggets were without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and more. The Spurs didn’t have the services of Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan and more.
Early on, the Spurs were taking full advantage of the shorthanded Nuggets. The Spurs led by as many as 20 points in the first half before taking a 12-point lead into intermission.
Denver stormed back in the second half and even took the lead into the fourth quarter. However, instead of succumbing to pressure on the road, the Spurs executed down the stretch and came away with a 113-106 victory.
All in all, it was an okay-ish win. It was bad in terms of draft positioning and it’s undeniable that the Nuggets were relying on a lot of third stringers. But, hey, long losing streaks are never fun — so it had to feel good to the team to notch a victory.
Stats: Spurs at Nuggets
Spurs at Nuggets – Final Grades
Stephon Castle
The good: Castle was one assist away from a triple-double. His rebounding was outstanding. There was a stretch in which the Nuggets were dominating on the boards so Castle stepping up in that area was very much needed. As his nine assists would suggest, Castle passed the ball extremely well and his timing was nearly perfect. Defensively, he gave a lot of effort. The bad: Castle’s scoring efficiency left a lot to be desired. He was only 4-for-12 from two-point range and his decision-making and touch in the lane were wonky. Overall: Castle’s shooting could have been better but otherwise he played really well. He cleaned up the turnovers and battled on both ends.
Grade: B+
Chris Paul
With so much scoring on the sidelines, Paul had to step into a bigger role. He successfully did just that. He finished with 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds in 32 minutes. The veteran point guard made outstanding pass-or-shoot decisions and hit big shots when it mattered most. Paul’s defense was also really good. Net-net, this was one of the 39-year-old’s best games in a long while.
Grade: A-
Harrison Barnes
Barnes led the way with 20 points. He shot well and, more importantly, he was reliable when the Spurs leaned on him as the team’s go-to scorer. He was passing well while limiting his turnovers. Defensively, Barnes was more active than usual and his work on the boards was much, much better than we typically see from him.
Grade: A-
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie found his way back to the starting lineup and did fine. He didn’t shoot it the straightest but his shot-selection was good. Champagnie also deserves kudos for still playing hard on defense when his shot wasn’t falling. He moved well and seemed to always be in the right spot at the right time on both ends of the court.
Grade: B
Bismack Biyombo
Biyombo wasn’t helpful on either end of the court. Defensively, he was slow in rotations and had trouble against penetration. His rim protection and rebounding were fine but the rest of his defensive performance underwhelmed. Offensively, Biyombo was scoreless in 31 minutes. The Nuggets weren’t paying much attention to him yet he still couldn’t find ways to chip in on that end.
Grade: C-
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili stuffed the statsheet in his 23 minutes of play, totaling 16 points and ten rebounds. He shot the ball well, limited his mistakes and his relentless movement helped open up shots for his teammates. Mamu played with more electricity than anyone on the court and that energy was contagious. Defensively, I liked his chutzpah and he did a better job of making life difficult in the paint for opponents.
Grade: B+
Blake Wesley
Wesley is making the coaching staff look smart after giving him consistent minutes lately. In 21 minutes, he poured in 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field, 3-for-3 shooting from three-point range and 2-for-4 shooting at the line. If he can turn into a legitimate three-point shooter, Wesley is skilled enough in other categories to carve out an NBA career. Against the Nuggets, he had a handful of mistakes but he covered up those miscues with offensive efficiency and tenacity on the defensive end of the court.
Grade: A-
Malaki Branham
Branham is rarely shy about shooting the rock. In Denver, he was definitely not timid about letting it fly. In only 20 minutes, he shot 15 times and ended up scoring 13 points. While that efficiency isn’t anything to write home about, San Antonio’s offense got stuck in the mud at points and it was Branham’s isolation scoring that helped get the wheels moving once again. Defensively, he was more lively than normal. Overall, while I wouldn’t say this was a step in the right direction for Branham, his willingness to carry the load on offense aided the cause on this night.
Grade: B-
Jordan McLaughlin
McLaughlin doesn’t make many waves but he’s a smart player who knows how to run the show. Against the Nuggets, he hit a three, passed the ball well, handled the rock sufficiently and held up on the defensive end. As a third string point guard, McLaughlin definitely has value.
Grade: B-
Mitch Johnson
Wins don’t help the lottery odds at this stage but I didn’t hate this win. The Nuggets waved the white flag before the game so it would have been an embarrassing loss. Johnson coached this game to win the game and was successful in that endeavor.
Grade: B