On Wednesday night, the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the Denver Nuggets on the road, snapping a five-game winning streak with a 113-106 win.
Without Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Charles Bassey, Jeremy Sochan, De'Aaron Fox, or Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs needed to manufacture points, and everyone stepped up. Seven of the nine players used recorded double-digit points, led by Harrison Barnes' 20 points.
As a whole, the Spurs shot a solid 37 percent from deep and racked up 27 assists on 43 made shots. They also took good care of the ball, giving up only ten turnovers compared to Denver's 12.
After the game, Barnes took a moment to praise the bench players who rarely get a chance for making the most against Denver while being incredibly shorthanded.
"A lot of guys have been working extremely hard for their moment, their opportunity, to be able to come in and impact the basketball game," he said. "Obviously down a lot of bodies but I was proud of the way that Malaki, Sandro, Blake, obviously Steph, [Bismack], everyone stepped up and made their plays tonight."
The Spurs have dealt with injuries all season. Even before Wembanyama went down, both Vassell and Sochan missed extended time, which offered Stephon Castle a chance to come into his own and prove his talent from the start.
The rest of the young Spurs have followed that example for the entire season.
"A night like tonight where you need everyone to step up, it's great to see good team contributions, and everyone gets involved, share the basketball, high assist numbers, stuff like that," Barnes finished.
The Spurs will have a day off before hosting the mighty Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. As San Antonio prepares for an exciting and busy offseason, it stands to reason that some players listed on the injury report with minor bumps and bruises might be shut down for the season to land the best draft pick possible, and to give youngsters a chance to prove that they belong long-term.
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This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 12:27 PM.