The Denver Nuggets rallied from a large deficit Thursday night to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 136–131, snapping San Antonio’s five-game winning streak.
Nikola Jokić powered Denver with a dominant triple-double of 31 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists, while Jamal Murray erupted for 39 points to lead the comeback.
The Spurs were without star rookie Victor Wembanyama, who was ruled out with right ankle soreness after going through pregame warmups. Wembanyama must appear in 13 of San Antonio’s final 16 games to remain eligible for end-of-season awards.
Stephon Castle delivered a standout performance for San Antonio, finishing with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the third triple-double of his career.
San Antonio appeared in control after building a 20-point lead early in the third quarter, but Denver gradually chipped away. Murray’s 3-pointer with 4:38 remaining gave the Nuggets their first lead of the night at 121–119 and sparked an 11–0 run.
The Spurs had a chance to tie late. Trailing 132–129, Castle launched a 3-pointer that rattled off the rim with 20 seconds left. Murray then sealed the win by knocking down four consecutive free throws.
Denver dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring San Antonio 42–25 behind Murray and Jokić, along with key contributions from Spencer Jones, Cam Johnson and Christian Braun. Jones finished with 19 points, Johnson added 15 and Braun chipped in 11.
De'Aaron Fox led the Spurs with 27 points, while Devin Vassell added 18. San Antonio had won 16 of its previous 17 games before Thursday’s loss.
Despite the defeat, the Spurs had been 10–5 this season without Wembanyama, who watched the game from the second row behind the bench. It also marked the first time in 22 games San Antonio has lost after leading by 20 points.
Up next: The Denver Nuggets visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. The San Antonio Spurs travel to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.
