The San Antonio Spurs erased an 18-point third-quarter deficit to edge the Denver Nuggets 139-136 on Friday at Ball Arena, advancing to the NBA Cup quarterfinals. Devin Vassell led the comeback with a season-high 35 points, including seven three-pointers, while Julian Champagnie added a career-best 25.
Nuggets coach David Adelman criticized Denver’s defensive lapses, stating, “When you score 136 points and lose, that’s an issue. We’ve got to compete better on that end…17 turnovers for 30 points leads to them coming back and beating us.”
Denver built a 74-59 halftime lead and extended it to 18 early in the third, but San Antonio outscored the Nuggets 44-30 in the quarter to take a 104-103 advantage entering the fourth. The Spurs relied on outside shooting and free throws, converting 30 of 32 attempts while hitting timely threes down the stretch.
Adelman also addressed matchup issues on pick-and-roll defense. “The rollers got behind, leading to kick-out threes…we just lost the screening game,” he said. “We have to fight through that stuff…compete physically better throughout 48 minutes.”
Jamal Murray scored 37 points for Denver, joining the franchise’s 10,000-point club, while Cam Johnson contributed 28 and Nikola Jokic added 21, including a behind-the-back assist to Spencer Jones. Despite the high offensive output, Denver’s inability to limit turnovers and adjust defensively proved costly.
Adelman highlighted adjustments made late in the game, noting Tim Hardaway Jr. was inserted to capitalize on a hot streak and spacing created by defenders collapsing on Nikola Jokic. “That lineup at the end is a very good offensive lineup, but if you turn the ball over 17 times, that’s 17 possessions you didn’t shoot the ball to the rim. That’s going to lose you games.”
Both teams were shorthanded, with San Antonio missing Victor Wembanyama (calf) and Stephon Castle (hip), while Denver was without Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle). Spurs depth was on full display, with eight players connecting on at least one three-pointer to compensate for the absences.
Looking forward, San Antonio travels to Minnesota on Sunday, while Denver hosts Phoenix on Saturday, each seeking to rebound from a physically demanding contest. Adelman emphasized the need for Denver to improve defensive focus and ball security as they continue NBA Cup play.
