The San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets will face off for the first time this season, with two games scheduled less than 24 hours apart.
The Spurs will play the Nuggets in Denver on Friday night and then host them in Texas on Saturday night. San Antonio comes into the game fresh off a big win over the Los Angeles Clippers on New Year’s Eve, while the Nuggets won their game against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
San Antonio enters the new year with a 21-17 record, their first winning record at this point since 2019. Much of this success can be credited to Victor Wembanyama, who leads the team with 25.6 points per game, 10.0 rebounds, and a league-high 3.9 blocks per game.
Although he is still young, Wembanyama, who will turn 21 on Saturday, understands that team success matters more than individual stats.
“Some people care about highlights, but we care here about the record, the win or the loss,” he said. “It is the only stat that matters.”
In addition to Wembanyama, the Spurs have seven players averaging double figures in scoring. Devin Vassell (15.3), Jeremy Sochan (13.9), Keldon Johnson (12.1), and Julian Champagnie (12.1) round out the top scorers.
However, Sochan will miss Friday’s game due to low back tightness after leaving the Clippers to win early.
The Nuggets, on the other hand, will be without forward Aaron Gordon for the fifth straight game due to a right calf strain. Denver has struggled defensively in Gordon’s absence, allowing 127.8 points per game during this stretch.
Denver’s defense improved in the second half of their game against Atlanta, holding the Hawks to just 49 points after giving up 71 in the first half.
“We weren’t playing well on the defensive end, we weren’t getting back in transition, there wasn’t enough effort,” said Christian Braun of the Nuggets. “We kind of knew that as players. We just have to stop trying to flip the switch and just set the tone and bring defense every night.”
The Nuggets are currently on a three-game win streak, averaging 135 points per game in victories over the Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz, and Hawks. Russell Westbrook, starting in place of Gordon, has contributed a triple-double and a double-double in his last two games.
Westbrook has been averaging 12.2 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in his first season with Denver. Meanwhile, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic continues to make a strong case for the award with 14 triple-doubles, including a 23-point, 17-rebound, and 15-assist performance in the win over the Hawks.
Jokic ranks third in the NBA in scoring (30.7 points), third in rebounding (13.0), and second in assists (9.7). Jamal Murray (19.8 points) and Michael Porter Jr. (18.8) are the second and third leading scorers for the Nuggets.
