For the sixth time this season, the Nuggets won a game that they trailed by double digits in the fourth quarter, battling back in San Antonio for a 122-111 triumph in overtime on Saturday night.
The Nuggets (20-14) have won nine of their last 13 and managed to split a back-to-back with the Spurs. The road team won both nights.
Last-shot adjustments
Before overtime, the Nuggets had a chance to get out of San Antonio in regulation with the last shot after Devin Vassell’s game-tying tip with 14 seconds to go. Malone took a timeout to set up the play, like he did with 17 seconds remaining in Denver 24 hours earlier.
In the first game of the back-to-back, the Nuggets were trailing by one, not tied. The final possession was thwarted by a combination of Jokic’s ill-fated improvisation and poor spacing around him, particularly with Russell Westbrook away from the ball. This time, the Nuggets played through Westbrook having the ball in his hands while Murray spaced the floor as a spot-up option.
The adjustment worked. Spacing was better. Execution was better, as Westbrook made the right read by finding Jokic for a pick-and-pop long two at the buzzer. It was a clean look, free of Victor Wembanyama’s wingspan. It simply rimmed out.
Jokic made up for it by dominating overtime. He scored nine of his 46 points, including a pretty elbow jumper with Wembanyama in his face, as if to remind the young phenom who the MVP is. He added a steal and multiple other deflections during the extra period, finishing the night 19 of 35 from the field with nine rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and two blocks.
Watson closes, defends Wemby honorably
Peyton Watson has not been a staple of Malone’s closing lineups this season, but he earned his way onto the court for the end of the fourth quarter and overtime in San Antonio thanks to his active hands, reflexes and physicality against Wembanyama.
On Friday night, the French center scored an efficient 35 points. But the Nuggets spoiled his 21st birthday, holding him to 20 points on 7-of-19 shooting with four turnovers. Watson played a major part with two blocks, including one in overtime as Denver pulled away.
Russell Westbrook also made one of the most important plays of the game four minutes in, cutting in front of Wembanyama’s path while dribbling the ball up the floor to draw Wemby’s second foul 70 feet from the basket. It planted San Antonio’s best player on the bench until the second quarter, allowing the Nuggets to survive their slow start offensively. They scored 40 of their 54 first-half points in the paint.
Back-to-backs better than long rest?
After arriving at their hotel in San Antonio after 3 a.m., the Nuggets are now 7-0 in the second game of back-to-backs this season. They’re also 4-0 in overtime games, with all four of those occurring during back-to-backs.
Unfortunately for Denver, the next opponent is Boston after two days off back home. The Nuggets are weirdly 3-5 this season after two or more days of rest. This will be their first matchup against the team that replaced them as defending NBA champions.
For perhaps the first time in those seven back-to-back wins, Denver’s players looked tired on Saturday. They went into the locker room after a 1-for-15 first half from the 3-point line, with nobody other than Jokic in double figures. Jamal Murray was off again, and his shot selection was often dubious — more long 2s than 3s when looking to score off the dribble. Michael Porter Jr. had only four points.
But the 6-foot-10 forward turned it on in the second half to keep the Nuggets alive, finishing with 28 points and 10 rebounds on a team that otherwise continued to struggle on the glass. He scored seven crucial points during the window of Jokic rest minutes at the start of the fourth, helping cut a 92-81 deficit to 96-91 when Jokic returned.