The reigning champion Denver Nuggets faced the San Antonio Spurs, who had lost four of their previous five games. Since losing starting point guard Jamal Murray, they’ve struggled to regain their winning ways. In a 132-120 victory against the Spurs, they looked more like their championship selves.

On Sunday night, Denver’s hyper-efficient offensive onslaught shredded San Antonio. The Nuggets nailed 12 of their 28 three-point tries and shot 56.2% from the field. As the Spurs pushed to catch up, they were firing on all cylinders. Despite the best efforts of the Spurs bench late in the game, major runs in the third and fourth quarters buried San Antonio.

In MVP form, Nikola Jokic dominated. He finished with 39 points, 9 assists, and 11 rebounds. Victor Wembanyama, who was charged with protecting him during periods, had his moments. In only 25 minutes of action, the youngster posted one of his most spectacular stat lines of the season, with 22 points, 11 rebounds, 6 steals, and 4 blocks.

The Spurs will bring their 12-game losing skid home to face the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.

Observations

Wembanyama put up a great game. His six thefts were the result of his length interfering with the Nuggets’ passing routes. He even intercepted a number of Jokic’s passes. There had been much speculation about how he would defend the NBA’s more strong big men, like as Jokic. Even though he was dominated in the post, Wembanyama utilized his length as a deterrent near to the rim. Wembanyama was aggressive offensively in his efforts to go to the hoop. After obtaining solid, early position on lesser defenders, he attacked off the dribble and was found by his teammates on few lobs.

Due to knee pain, Jeremy Sochan did not play in the second half. Despite Spurs supporters’ calls for Tre Jones to play point guard full-time, the offense didn’t function any better in the second half without Sochan. Jones, on the other hand, was a +14 in minutes, with 10 points and 6 assists. If Sochan is forced to miss any time, Jones might see more playing time.

Devin Vassell kept his hot streak going in his third game off the bench this season. In 26 minutes, he scored 19 points and made four of his seven three-point attempts. Before the game, Gregg Popovich informed reporters that they had been playing the guard off the bench to conserve his minutes. If he stays healthy, the Spurs might utilize his scoring skills during spells when the offense struggles.