The Utah Jazz had a tough time stopping the talented Victor Wembanyama on Thursday night, and now they have to find a way to handle a three-time NBA MVP when they play the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.
Wembanyama scored 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds, made seven assists, and had five steals and five blocks in the San Antonio Spurs’ 106-88 win, leaving the Jazz as the only team without a victory.
To get their first win, they will need to overcome Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who has had a strong start to the season.
Jokic has already scored 40 points in two games and achieved two triple-doubles just five games into the season, but the Nuggets haven’t had the best start. They lost their first two games and then won two overtime games on the road, only to lose to Minnesota on Friday night.
Denver will be missing a starter, as Jamal Murray took a hit to the head during the second half of the 119-116 loss to the Timberwolves. Murray got hurt when he collided with Julius Randle while moving through the lane and left the game after a few plays.
“He took a really hard hit, and they checked him out in the back,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “I haven’t heard anything in terms of what kind of status he’s been given, whether he’s in concussion protocol. If he’s not able to play, we hope to get him back as soon as possible.”
The Nuggets face another tough challenge, as they have relied heavily on their starters this season. Coach Malone has mixed his starters with the bench and tried using Hunter Tyson, who hasn’t played much, to find a good combination.
The Jazz have an advantage because they are well-rested while the Nuggets are playing back-to-back games for the second time this week. However, Utah is also dealing with injuries, which has allowed rookies Kyle Filipowski and Cody Williams to get more playing time.
Taylor Hendricks is out for the season due to a broken leg and dislocated ankle, and Lauri Markkanen is struggling with back spasms, so Filipowski and Williams started Thursday’s game against the Spurs.
“I don’t think anyone really wants to get more minutes that way,” Filipowski said. “What I’m trying to do is just stay ready … keeping my mind right. That way when this moment comes, and when these moments come in the future, I’m ready to be thrown in the fire.”
Filipowski played well in the loss to San Antonio, scoring 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting, including making half of his four 3-point attempts. Williams did not make any of his six-shot attempts but hit both of his free throws.
Both players understand this is a chance to prove themselves in the NBA and are taking it seriously.
“Knowing that everything can change in an instant, and not taking it for granted. I think that allows us to stay locked in and approach the game right, because we know we have a teammate who wishes he could be out there,” Williams said.
