Mile High Sports

Nuggets have a party on the court, demolish the San Antonio Spurs

Ryan Blackburn

Nov 5, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) gestures in the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets defeated the San Antonio Spurs 126-101 on Saturday night. A party took place on the court as the Nuggets basically led wire to wire.

Denver shot 60.9% from the field as a team. Bones Hyland led the team with 24 points, hitting 6-of-8 from the three-point line. Nikola Jokić scored 21 points on just 10 shots. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. were in rhythm throughout the game. This was as potent an offensive night as the Nuggets have had so far.

“We took advantage. We knew they played last night,” Michael Malone shared with media on Saturday night. “A tired team coming in. We know they’re going to be much better at their place in two days.”

Denver played like a team that knew it had an advantage early and often. They were aggressive, decisive, and almost predatory in how they pounced on the opportunity to exploit certain matchups. It was a professional beatdown.

Here are the three primary takeaways from Denver’s matchup with San Antonio on Friday night:

Nuggets offense reaches new heights

Entering the night, the Nuggets had posted a 113.7 offensive rating through eight games, good for 12th in the NBA. The defense has been the story, but the offense hasn’t quite reached the historic levels many believed they could achieve.

That was, until tonight.

Posting 126 points in it of itself is an accomplishment, but for Denver to score 70 points at halftime while attempting just 10 total three-pointers is absurd. Their efficiency from two-point range was extremely high, and they kept the turnovers down in the process. Everything clicked into place in a way that it hadn’t in the first eight games, with just about every facet of the offense working in Denver’s favor.

“The best part about it: I think it was evident in our assist total,” Malone emphasized. “37 assists. The turnovers were still too much – 37 assists, 18 turnovers – but we’re making some highlight types of plays for teammates.”

The team finished shooting 60.9% from the field and 51.7% from three. They put together the complete performance Nuggets fans were hoping for. It was a party on the court.

Jokić – Murray two-man game is back like it never left

While others certainly contributed to the success, what stood out the most in this one was how in control both Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray were tonight. The game began with Murray looking to attack Tre Jones in the post and having some success. Then, Murray and Jokić took turns handling the rock and making great decisions. They even had some back-and-forth possessions that reminded of the bubble.

“We were playing really good from the start. They didn’t have time to adapt or anything like that,” Jokić shared. “The whole game I think was in our favor. We won every quarter.”

Jokić finished the game with 21 points and 10 assists in 27 minutes, sporting a +20 on the evening. He shot 9-of-10 from the field. Murray also posted 13 points and 9 assists of his own, committing just one turnover in the process. Both guys played with a great energy and connection. It was fun to watch.

“He’s good,” Jokić simply stated about Murray tonight.

Bones returns with a flourish and embarrasses the Spurs

After missing a couple of games with a hip injury, Bones Hyland returned to the court tonight…and it was quite something.

As the Nuggets continued running up the score on the Spurs, Bones became more and more flashy with his shots, passes, and overall demeanor. It was about as demonstrative on the court as he’s ever been in his NBA career.

The Nuggets have encouraged Bones to be exactly who he is from Day 1, and they’re adapting to his play style on the fly.

“I think you always have to understand and accept who you draft,” shared Malone. “What I liked most about it was it wasn’t just the Bones show. He got everybody else involved.”

 

Bones finished the game with 24 points and 7 assists, hitting 6-of-8 from three-point range. He also accumulated roughly 100,000 vibes on the night. It was an incredible return in front of the home crowd.

“I feel like the basket just opened up,” Bones shared. “It felt like an ocean out there.”

Final Rotations

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