The last regular season game for the Denver Nuggets ended in a victory as they beat the San Antonio Spurs 128-118. The Spurs were without Victor Wembanyama while Denver held out most of its starters, but the game was still raucous. Nikola Jokic played the first half to qualify for awards and set the tone, finishing with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block. Julian Strawther had a career-high 25 points to go with 6 boards, and David Roddy was outstanding with 15 points and 13 rebounds to help Jonas Valanciunas and his 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Spurs got 24 points from De’Aaron Fox, 19 from Devin Vassell and 18 off the bench from Keldon Johnson but it was not enough.
Denver won its twelfth game in a row to close out the regular season and lock up the three seed to put themselves in the same bracket as the Spurs. First however the Nuggets will have home court when they play the Minnesota Timberwolves to open the playoffs. Until then Denver can rest up after a long regular season and change their focus to what really matters: chasing that next title starting in Game 1 of the playoffs.
Game Flow
De’Aaron Fox opened the game with a 3 and Jokic missed one in response. Julian Strawther drove the hoop but missed the finish and turned the ball over after no whistle, but Bruce Brown finished in transition off a turnover. Devin Vassell buried a three, Zeke Nnaji answered with a long two from the corner, and Joker got some free throws for an early 7-6 deficit. Mason Plumlee dunked for the Spurs, Strawther buried a three off a Jokic pass, and Fox made a paint pullup followed by a Vassell steal and finish. Julian finished his next drive, then hit a three over a zone to tie it at 14. Strawther got free throws also, then Bismack Biyombo and Bruce Brown traded buckets early before Strawther stayed hot with another three. Dylan Harper and Nikola Jokic traded paint buckets, and Joker grabbed a rebound on a Jalen Pickett miss for another hoop and a 24-18 lead. David Roddy got free throws for Denver, but Harrison Barnes and Dylan Harper scored for the Spurs. Jokic also made free throws after some tough rebounds and misses in the paint, and Keldon Johnson exchanges free throws with Strawther as well. Curtis Jones hit a great three for Denver, but had his next drive blocked out of bounds. David Roddy had his dunk blocked also, but Joker got a block the other way and back to the line for two free throws. The teams traded misses to end but Denver still finished up 37-34 after one.
Jonas Valanciunas tipped in a Strawther miss to open the quarter, but Keldon Johnson made a three the other way. Jonas had another tip-in and Curtis Jones made a pair of threes. Strawther hit a great floater for his 15th and 16th early points, and a 49-40 Denver lead. Valanciunas hit a 15-foot jumper and grabbed a couple of rebounds, but missed a three. Denver’s defense played well to start the second and the Spurs also missed shots they would normally make as Denver stretched the lead to double digits with buckets from Big Val and a three from the re-entering Jokic. Joker got the ball to Jones for free throws, then hit a spinning floater to put Denver up 57-40. Joker tipped back in a missed three from Tyus Jones, then coached Curtis Jones on some things like he did David Roddy during free throws earlier. The Spurs kept turning the ball over as Denver went on a 22-0 run with a Roddy finish off his own miss. Vassell finally made a three to stop the run, then another corner three, but Bruce Brown had a nice driving finish and Jokic splashed in a nice shot. The Spurs finally started making shots though, mostly Vassell, and Curtis Jones traded threes with Fox at the buzzer to put Denver up 70-56 at the half.
Jokic was pulled to start the third quarter after he qualified for the season-long awards in the first half. Strawther hit a two then banked in a three, and Bruce Brown got a steal and Zeke Nnaji missed a three. But the Spurs ramped up their attack as Champagnie, Castle and Vassell each had buckets to cut Denver’s lead to 75-65. Julian Strawther had his shot blocked but Tyus Jones hit a corner three. Valanciunas dunked on Plumlee, answered by a Fox floater. Nnaji got a good rebound and kickout that turned into a layup finish for him, then Val fed Bruce for a reverse layup. Carter Bryant and Keldon Johnson hit a couple of shots for the Spurs, and Strawther and Harper traded layups. Jalen Pickett hit a really tough high-arcing floater, Nnaji and Roddy finished well in the paint, but Keldon Johnson made a corner three and DaRon Holmes had a good block but it led to a Spurs three anyway. Holmes made a jumper through a foul and made his free throw. Holmes had a second block but saved it to the Spurs and Castle hit a three. Jalen Pickett hit a crucial three, Harrison Barnes answered with the fourth-straight three for San Antonio, but Pickett got fouled on a last-second three point attempt and put Denver up 101-91 going into the fourth.
Fox hit a baseline floater to open the fourth quarter, and Roddy missed a layup that turned into a Carter Bryant dunk. Bruce Brown hit a long floater to quiet the crowd momentarily, Valanciunas hit a turnaround bank shot and grabbed a couple of rebounds, one of which led to a Bruce reverse layup for a 107-95 lead. Barnes hit a three for San Antonio, and Roddy missed a layup on the other end but then got the rebound and dunked it. Bruce then dunked off a Pickett steal to keep Denver up double digits with 8 minutes to go. Big Val and Carter Bryant traded paint buckets, then Jonas blocked Castle and Curtis Jones got a steal. Jones found Valanciunas for a nice little hook, and David Roddy got to work on the rebounds and making shots around the rim to put Denver up 120-104. The Spurs fought back with contact at the rim and also Denver had some poor possessions but a Roddy bank shot kept them up double digits. The Spurs turned the pressure up though and Denver allowed too many shots to the Spurs and a Pickett turnover turned into a Spurs finish to cut it to 6. Roddy had a crucial bucket and after some long misses the Nuggets finally cleared for Strawther to get the run-out finish for his career-high in points. Denver finished the regular season winning 12 in a row and took this final game 128-118.
Final Thoughts
The Nuggets didn’t care who they played in the playoffs based on their lineup, but they certainly played like every game matters to them. Jokic was the only one of their top six players that played, and that was only for a half. He was incredible, but Denver’s reserves stepped up in big minutes and small moments every time the Spurs made any kind of run. David Roddy proved he should be back with Denver next year if he wants to be, simply by the way he played under duress in the last couple of games and Denver needing a playable power forward who can do multiple things. Denver could have folded at any point in this game but instead competed the whole 48 minutes and secured the three seed – and showed the Spurs that any potential second round matchup is going to be a barn burner. But first, Denver gets some much-needed rest and then they will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in a very familiar matchup.
The regular season is over – bring on the postseason!
