|
It will be the first of two games in three days between the two
teams in San Antonio.
The Nuggets travel to the Alamo City for the second game of a
road back-to-back on the heels of a 120-114 overtime win in New
Orleans on Wednesday. Nikola Jokic racked up 39 points, 11
assists and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, his fourth
triple-double in just 19 games this season.
Eleven of Jokic's points came in the extra period after he
missed a 21-foot, last-second jumper that would have won the
game in regulation.
Denver coach Michael Malone said after the game that there was a
moment during overtime when he thought, "How lucky am I that I
have the reigning MVP on the road in a close game?"
Will Barton added 20 points for Denver in the victory, with
Monte Morris hitting for 11 and JaMychal Green and Aaron Gordon
scoring 10 points.
The contests in San Antonio are the final two of a
seven-games-in-13-days road trip for Denver, which has won three
of the first five games on the sojourn.
"It feels like every city we go to we get a little smaller and
smaller," Malone said. "By the time we get to San Antonio, I
hope I'm part of the team."
"Mainly it's about us just being together," Green said,
according to the Denver Post. "It's a time for us to
individually get to know each other off the floor."
The Spurs return to the floor after a 121-109 home loss to the
New York Knicks on Tuesday. The game was the second of a
road-home back-to-back for San Antonio, which lost at Phoenix on
Monday and has now dropped two in a row after a season-high,
four-game winning streak.
Derrick White paced San Antonio with season-high 26 points on
Tuesday. Dejounte Murray had 15, Doug McDermott and Jakob Poeltl
added 13 each and Bryn Forbes scored 12 points. Murray has his
streak of double-doubles snapped at seven.
The game was the first of five at home over an nine-day stretch
for the Spurs.
"That first game being a back-to-back after a road trip, we knew
that would be tough energy-wise," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich
said afterward. "I thought we competed our ass off. Guys gave
their effort. I was really happy with that."
San Antonio surrendered 17 offensive rebounds in the loss that
led to 21 points for the Knicks. Keeping New York off the glass
was a difficult challenge, according to Poeltl.
"We were trying to load up the defense a little bit, show help
for a lot of their physical drivers," Poeltl said. "I think we
got a couple tough bounces. They were in good positions,
obviously, and they are good offensive rebounders. Maybe there
was a lack of physicality on my part."
San Antonio likely will be without forward Keldon Johnson
against the Nuggets after he sprained his right ankle late in
the first half of the loss to New York. An MRI performed
Wednesday revealed no structural damage to Johnson's ankle.
The Nuggets have won the past three games in the series, most
recently beating the Spurs 102-96 on Oct. 22 in Denver.
--Field Level Media
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
