”You’ve got to stay together if you’ve got the guts. And you don’t find the first door and run out of it.” - Pat Riley.
It looked like the San Antonio Spurs were simply outmatched after a 23-8 run by the Denver Nuggets in the second half. Down 74-59 at halftime, it would have been easy to make excuses. The Spurs’ two best defenders, Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, were injured. How could the team match up with Denver’s high-powered offense, headlined by the best player in the league, Nikola Jokic, and a star guard, Jamal Murray?
Grit has defined this short-handed Spurs squad since they lost Wembanyama and Castle. Somehow, some way, they dig in and find a way to win tough games. Force a turnover here. And-1 finish there. Four-point plays led to big swings that cut into Denver’s 18-point lead. Through it all, it was evident that San Antonio viewed this as a must-win game. Not just to advance to the franchise’s first NBA Cup Quarterfinals appearance, but to send a message – we are ready to compete NOW with or without Wembanyama. With energy and focus, the Spurs won their 5th game without the big man, 139-136.
Shining above everyone else are the two Spurs that have donned the Silver and Black the longest: Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson. Vassell was a marksman on Friday night. He had 35 points on 12-17 shooting from the field, hitting 7 of his 9 three-pointers. When San Antonio’s offense stalled late in the fourth quarter, and it seemed Denver would make a comeback to seal the game, it was Vassell who knocked down the big shots to swing the contest back in the Spurs’ favor.
It’s got to be cathartic for Vassell, who some have labeled the “most disappointing player” of San Antonio’s young season. The 6th-year wing is coming into his own as an off-ball shotmaker. Friday may have been the best game of his young career.
Johnson has become the heart and soul of this team. He and Julian Champagnie emotionally spearheaded the third-quarter run that got San Antonio back into the game. KJ nearly notched another double-double with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Is he perfect on defense? No, but his energy and enthusiasm are infectious and make the team better.
There was a lot of worrying during the tanking years (yes, I’m calling them what they were) about the team developing “losing habits.” Friday night was an example of “winning habits.” The Spurs had no quit, ran good offense, withstood multiple blows, and made plays when they needed to. All of that without their star player against one of the best teams in the NBA. They’ll now get a chance to see how far they can take this NBA Cup run against the red-hot Los Angeles Lakers in the Quarterfinals. Perhaps they will have some superstar support when that game comes around.