Jokic, Nuggets avenge loss to Spurs with 127-112 victory

Published Dec. 11, 2021 11:11 p.m. ET

Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 35 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists and the Denver Nuggets avenged an earlier loss to San Antonio, beating the Spurs 127-112 on Saturday night.

The Nuggets had a balanced effort two nights after their most lethargic performance of the season. Denver never led and were dominated in the paint and on 3-pointers in falling 123-111 to San Antonio on Thursday.

The Nuggets were 20 for 43 on 3-pointers Saturday and matched their season high for made 3s.

Denver’s Markus Howard had a season-best 21 points, Monte Morris added 19 points and Bones Hyland and Aaron Gordon had 16 each.

Lonnie Walker IV scored 16 points to lead San Antonio, which had won five of seven. Devin Vassell added 15 points and Bryn Forbes and Keldon Johson each scored 14.

One night after the 25th anniversary of his coaching debut, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich opted to sit his starters for much of the final quarter as the Denver built a 32-point lead.

Jokic received two technical fouls but escaped ejection because officials ruled the second was a non-unsportsmanlike technical for hanging on the rim. Jokic hung on the rim and thrusted after a dunk that put Denver up 83-56 with 9:25 remaining in the third.

The excitement and confusion of the dunk was a fitting punctuation to a frustrating two-game stop in San Antonio for Denver.

The Nuggets got a needed boost from their bench on the final night of a seven-game, 13-day trip.

Reserve guards Howard and Hyland were a combined 8 for 12 on 3-pointers in the first half.

Howard finished 6 for 12 on 3-pointers after only playing the final 42 seconds of Thursday’s loss.

Denver also had a much better start, scoring the game’s opening basket after never leading Thursday.

The Spurs rallied behind a physical defense, leading to the first technical on Jokic with 6:26 left in the opening quarter. Jokic and coach Michael Malone were both upset by a lack of calls on both ends, especially against San Antonio defensively, but the reigning MVP was issued the technical.

Jokic responded with 13 points in the opening quarter on 3-for-3 shooting 3 from long range and 5 for 7 overall. He also had six rebounds.

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Denver went 4-3 on their longest road trip of the season. … Will Barton was ruled out an hour before the game due to a non-COVID illness. Will Barton averages 2.6 made 3-pointers per game for the Nuggets, scoring 16.3 points while shooting 39.2% from beyond the arc. … G Austin Rivers missed his sixth straight game while in the league’s health and safety protocols. … F JaMychal Green received a technical foul with 8:13 remaining in the first half after continuously griping at official Jenna Schroeder. Green also griped at Hyland, who tried to keep Green away from Schroeder, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Kane Fitzgerald from issuing the technical. Green continued to gripe at Schroeder and Hyland before Hyland pushed him toward the bench as he was replaced in the lineup.

Spurs: Johnson returned after missing Thursday’s game due to a sprained right ankle he suffered in the first half Tuesday against New York. Johnson has made at least three 3-pointers in three games this season after doing so just twice last season and once in 2020. … Ten Spurs players have scored at least 125 points this season through 25 games, the first time that has happened since 2010. … The Spurs are 4-12 against the West.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Host Washington on Monday.

Spurs: Host New Orleans on Sunday.

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