Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Denver Nuggets – Game #35
Julian Champagnie will try to have another good game against the Nuggets (Photo via X)
The first game was so fun that they’ll play another one. A day after the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Denver Nuggets by a final score of 113-110, the two teams will battle again. The first game took place in Denver, while tonight’s affair will be held in San Antonio.
The Spurs have to be feeling really good about themselves after last night’s victory. Things looked bleak when Denver took a 108-103 lead with 2:35 remaining in the contest. However, instead of succumbing to a championship contending team, the Spurs responded with a Julian Champagnie three-pointer and a Keldon Johnson three-point play to take the lead. After a Nikola Jokic basket put the Nuggets back up on top, Chris Paul hit a mid-range shot to give the Spurs an advantage they would never lose.
Currently, the Silver and Black have a record of 18-16. With a win tonight, they’d move to three games over .500 for the first time all season. It’d also be the team’s third straight victory.
Battle of the Legendary Bigs
Last night, both Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic had games to remember. While battling foul trouble and limited to 33 minutes, Wembanyama finished the game with 35 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. He was 14-of-22 from the field, 4-for-6 from three-point range and 3-for-4 from the free throw line.
The Spurs tried to limit their double-teams on Jokic and the Serbian superstar made San Antonio second-guess that strategy. In 37 minutes, he showed why he’s arguably the best player in the league by pouring in 41 points, 18 rebounds, nine assists and two steals. Jokic didn’t shoot as well as Wembanyama, however, finishing 15-of-36 from the field, 3-for-10 from beyond the three-point arc and 8-for-9 at free throws.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
With Jeremy Sochan likely to miss a second straight game with a lower back injury, interim head coach Mitch Johnson will likely go with Victor Wembanyama at center, Harrison Barnes at power forward, Julian Champagnie at small forward, Stephon Castle at shooting guard and Chris Paul at point guard.
Since this is the second night of a back-to-back, don’t be surprised if the coaching staff opts to limit some of the starters’ minutes. That could open up more playing time for reserves including Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie and Tre Jones.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Nuggets
The Nuggets are favored by 3.5 points and the over/under is 236 points. The smart money is actually on the Nuggets winning by four or more points. It’s difficult for any NBA team to beat a contender two days in a row. For a young team like the Spurs, that’d be a big time challenge.