NBA Daily: Spurs Ride DeRozan and Mills Early as Young Guns Finish Nuggets 119-109
By Reylan Loberternos
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 30 Jan 2021
Boracay Island, Philippines – The San Antonio Spurs bucked on a solid offensive performance in the first three quarters, buoyed by DeMar DeRozan’s efficient play on the way to a 30-point, 10-assist outing, to upset the erstwhile Western Conference 4th placer Denver Nuggets 119-109 on Friday night (Saturday morning, Philippine time) at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
DeRozan made 11 of his 14 shot attempts and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe. He also committed just 1 of the Spurs’ total 12 turnovers for the entire game.
The Spurs’ compensated for their subpar defensive effort early on with excellent shooting. Patty Mills paired with DeRozan on that department and finished with 17 markers off-the-bench, on a 4-for-8 shooting from the rainbow territory and connecting on all of his 5 freethrow attempts.
San Antonio’s young guns did the finishing touches in the final frame to stun the Nuggets. Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Lonnie Walker IV, and Jakob Poeltl scrambled on the defensive end, forcing a series of turnovers by Denver to ensure the victory.
Dejounte Murray overcame an early foul trouble to finish with 26 markers, 7 boards, 3 dimes, and a crucial steal on Jamal Murray and finish on the break to give San Antonio a 10-point cushion with a little over 3 minutes left in the game.
Keldon Johnson provided timely baskets for the Spurs, consistently attacking the hoop to neutralize Denver’s zone defense. The 21-year-old forward out of Kentucky was all over the court, as he finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block for San Antonio, who extended their winning streak to 3 and now tied with the Nuggets for the 4th spot on the Western Conference team standings with identical 11-8 win-loss cards.
Nikola Jokic led Denver with 35 markers, 10 boards, 5, dimes, 1 steal, and 1 block, while Jamal Murray, who sustained a hip injury later in the fourth, finished with 20 points.
Up next for the Spurs are the Memphis Grizzlies in San Antonio on Saturday night (Sunday morning, Philippine time).
On the other hand, the Nuggets will try to bounce back, as they host the red hot streaking Utah Jazz on the following night.
How They Scored:
Spurs 119 – DeRozan 30, Murray 26, Johnson 19, Mills 17, Vassell 9, Gay 6, Aldridge 5, Poeltl 4, Walker IV 3.
Nuggets 109 – Jokic 35, Murray 20, Harris 11, Morris 10, Barton 9, Porter Jr. 9, Millsap 8, Green 3, Hartenstein 2, Hampton 2
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