You never know what you’re going to get when you visit Ball Arena.
Yesterday, we saw greatness. An incredible moment between two incredible players that will sit in an important place in history.
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets took down Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 136-134 in an overtime victory on Saturday. I’ve spent a while processing this game from a variety of angles, what it means for the Nuggets and the playoff race.
But I can’t stop thinking about the story of the present and future of the NBA playing out in real time.
Jokic was unbelievable in this game with 40 points, 8 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 blocks, and zero turnovers. He got up for this game and brought a level of energy and intensity rarely seen in normal matchups at this stage of the season. This one clearly meant more against an elite team and elite player, and for good reason.
“Of course, you should be professional and get up for every game you play,” head coach David Adelman shared postgame. “But the bottom line is [Jokic and Wembanyama] both last night thought about what this was going to be. That’s the bottom line.”
“I do think they get up for each other.”
Wembanyama certainly got up and tried to meet the challenge Jokic presented. In his minutes, Wembanyama had 34 points, 18 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 5 blocks. He shot 16-of-17 at the free throw line and was relentless on both ends of the floor. He didn’t always guard Jokic, but any time he didn’t, he was lurking in the background attempting to protecting the rim.
That rim protection produced a chess match of sorts between both teams. The Nuggets attempted more threes than usual, taking advantage of an open perimeter. Christian Braun shot 5-of-11 from three and had 21 points in what was his best shooting game of the season. Other guys took advantage of the attention as well throughout the evening.
But always, the Nuggets were trying to get the ball back to Jokic whether Wembanyama guarded him or not. Jokic captained the offense and made great decisions throughout the night, passing to the open man consistently and hitting difficult shots throughout. It was a masterclass in how to navigate Wembanyama’s game-breaking defensive skill set.
“I mean, it’s a high level of effort from both of them, too,” Cam Johnson emphasized about the matchup between the two unique star centers. “It’s a little bit of a chess match where they’re really just competing, and the crowd’s into it, and the referees are into it, and the benches are into it. So yeah, the theater is there.”
“[Jokic]’s as smart of a basketball player as there ever was.”
Christian Braun added to the discussion on the two MVP caliber centers.
“I mean, they’re both obviously unreal players at the top of the MVP race,” Braun shared. “So getting to watch them and be a part of that game is really fun for me, just to get to see those guys compete and go at it.”
Some of the shots that Jokic was forced to hit over Wemby were incredible. He consistently changed the arc on his jumper, his floater, and his hook shot around the rim just to give it a bit of an extra chance against Wemby’s outstretched arms. He wasn’t perfect, but it was about all any player could ask for in a battle like this one.
“I think I opened the game really good and then just kind of flowed the whole game in that direction,” Jokic said honestly postgame. “I don’t know if I did something different or if my moves were a little different, but just a little bit more arc on your shot.”
Aaron Gordon’s defense on Wembanyama helped stem the tide on a great player, especially in the clutch moments. Gordon was essential in connecting the Nuggets here, taking on a lot of responsibility in one of the toughest matchups in the NBA. The two-way play made a difference, and it allowed the Nuggets defense to play with confidence, taking care of their own assignments well enough to slow down the Spurs just enough.
It wasn’t perfect. The Spurs ended up scoring 134 points after all. The Nuggets suffered some more bumps and bruises, but they won their eighth game in a row and now hold the longest winning streak in the NBA. The Spurs used to hold an 11-game streak, so Denver’s took down the best to become the best at this particular moment.
They’re trending in the right direction, and the most important thing is that one can see the ceiling of this team. It’s right in line with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, both of whom will win 60+ games this year.
“This is just a fun stretch for us,” Braun declared. “It’s a good time to be having a good stretch as a team, and the more you can come together in these last however many games are left is really big for us.”
Getting healthier is part of it. Finding that level of chemistry and connectiveness while playing hard at the same time is another piece. Going through a playoff environment and coming out the other side is one of the final steps. This game was a true playoff atmosphere and both teams wanted it desperately. That’s fun and also instructive.
“We understand there’s a potential we could run into each other soon,” Cam Johnson said of the Nuggets and Spurs playing extremely competitively. “We’ve had competitive games with them the two before, and so you could feel it. You could feel it in the building. April is the time to really get cracking.”
There are plenty of reasons Nuggets fans should feel excitement heading into April. The regular season is nearly over, Jamal Murray has an an All-NBA caliber year, Aaron Gordon is making a difference, Cam Johnson is growing into his role at the right time, and the bench is finding elements they can go to at different points.
But by far, the most important factor remains Jokic. He’s the best player in the world, someone the teams knows they can count upon in the important moments. They know Jokic will be at his best when the time comes, and if there are more efforts like that in store for Jokic, then the Nuggets have a chance to to peak at the right time against the best teams in the world.
Jokic hasn’t been willing to relinquish that best player in the world title just yet. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be on his way to winning another MVP, and Victor Wembanyama might be the best player in the league in the near future.
Right now though, in this moment, there’s one player in the NBA that can reach the level we saw on the floor yesterday. He plays for the Denver Nuggets.
That’s an advantage the Nuggets hope to take advantage of in the coming weeks and months.
