Devin Vassell came up clutch for the Spurs (Photo via X)
In what has to be their biggest win of the season, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Denver Nuggets by a final score of 139-136. The victory clinched Group C for the Spurs and allowed San Antonio to advance in the NBA Cup.
Trailing by 18 points in the third quarter, the Spurs turned things around. Their offense caught fire and their defense stiffened up just enough. Down the stretch, San Antonio hit big shots to escape with the very impressive win.
Stats: Spurs at Nuggets
spurs nuggets grades
Spurs at Nuggets – Final Grades
De’Aaron Fox
The good: Fox tallied 12 assists, eight of which led to three-pointers. His playmaking was solid throughout and he did a good job of taking care of the ball. Scoring-wise, he had some speedy moves to the rim and got a lot of quality looks. Defensively, Fox wasn’t special but he held up reasonably well. The bad: In the fourth quarter, he was only 1-for-6 from the field to finish an inefficient affair. Fox made matters worse by getting to the line only three times and forcing up a few ill-advised attempts. Net-net: This classifies as a sub par outing for Fox but his playmaking and passing retained a healthy portion of his value.
Grade: C+
Devin Vassell
Vassell hit the two biggest shots of the game. With the score tied late, he hit back-to-back three-pointers to give the good guys the lead for good. In total, Vassell had 18 points in the fourth quarter, including 4-for-4 shooting from deep. It goes without saying that the Spurs don’t win this game without his 35 points. He came out of the gates on fire and never let up. While his shot-selection wasn’t always great, he was so on fire that I didn’t mind that he was letting it fly. Add in some hardnosed defense and this was undoubtedly Vassell’s best outing of the season.
Grade: A+
Harrison Barnes
Barnes had struggles from three-point range, finishing just 1-for-6 from range. However, he made up for those struggles in other ways. He used craft to score inside of the arc, he passed the ball better than usual and he was more intense on defense than normal. The Spurs need Barnes to shoot straighter but he did enough against the Nuggets to remain a positive force.
Grade: B-
Julian Champagnie
For the third straight game, Champagnie finished with double-digit rebounds. And these aren’t fluke rebounds — he’s crashing the glass and fighting amongst the trees. While his 6-for-15 shooting from the field isn’t much to write home about, Champagnie was able to tally 25 vital points by going 10-for-10 at the free throw line. He’s coming off screens tightly and he’s making quick decisions shooting the ball, which is leading to more free throws. I liked Champagnie’s defense and his overall effort level. The Spurs don’t win this game without a big performance from him.
Grade: A
Luke Kornet
There was a lot to like with how Kornet played. Defensively, he was stout in the paint, guarded the rim well and moved his feet on the perimeter better than usual. Offensively, he was finishing off plays well and he authored both assists on Vassell’s pair of dagger three-pointers. Kornet playing at a positive level at both ends of the court is a leading reason why the Spurs are able to compete without you know who.
Grade: B
Keldon Johnson
Johnson took full advantage of his 22 minutes. His rebounding continues to stand out as a major strength. His activity on the glass seems to fuel his teammates. Offensively, Johnson shot it straight, limited his miscues and remained in attack mode. When he’s going downhill, he’s tough to stop — especially when he’s making smart decisions like he was against the Nuggets.
Grade: A-
Jeremy Sochan
I mean, uh, I guess this was a small step in the right direction for Sochan. He didn’t rebound well, he got in foul trouble quickly and he passed up wide open looks. But his tenacity on defense was palpable and he did a better job of keeping things flowing on offense. Eventually, though, the Spurs need Sochan to hit perimeter shots and to rebound better if he’s going to be a long-term fit on this roster.
Grade: B-
Dylan Harper
In his second game back from injury, Harper looked a lot better. He wasn’t gasping for air like he was in his return. Instead, he was slicing and dicing Denver’s defense. He showed off his ability to get to the rack while also making the slickest of passes to his teammates. Harper’s midrange shots looked smooth and his decision-making was pristine. Oh, and his defense was borderline elite. He swiped three steals in 15 minutes and played strong one-on-one defense.
Grade: A-
Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk did pretty good. He hit a big three-pointer when the Spurs needed it and he kept his foot on the gas to make life easier for his teammates. Defense wasn’t as kind to Olynyk but he battled and didn’t give up much on that end.
Grade: B
Lindy Waters III
In his eight minutes, Waters was engaged defensively and hit a three-pointer. Otherwise, he was pretty quiet.
Grade: B
Carter Bryant
Bryant was anything but quiet. He played a loud six minutes and, when the dust settled, the Spurs were better off. Defensively, when he wasn’t flying around the perimeter, he was doing his best to defend Jokic. I liked his help on D and his athleticism on that end jumped off the screen. Offensively, Bryant hit a three-pointer and he’s remaining hesitationless.
Grade: B+
Mitch Johnson
Johnson did a lot right against the Nuggets. In fact, he’s a main reason why the Spurs won this game. His late-game playcalling was virtually flawless. His rotation made a lot of sense. Jokic is impossible to defend but the coaching staff did well to throw different looks at him to keep him thinking. Well done.
Grade: A-