Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports The Spurs face Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets for the first time this season There was cause for concern at the beginning of the year for the Denver Nuggets among NBA viewers and commentators. Less than 2 years removed from claiming the franchise’s first championship, Denver stumbled out of the gate this season, kept afloat only by the spectacular basketball wizardry of 3x MVP Nikola Jokic. A loss to the league bottom-dwelling Washington Wizards in early December put them at a paltry 11-10, but things have seemingly turned a corner for head coach Michael Malone’s squad since then. Their most recent win, a New Year’s Day victory over the Atlanta Hawks, marked their 8th W in their last 11 games. Tonight is the first time the San Antonio Spurs will be seeing Denver this season. The first of what is a home-and-away situation for both teams, as they will also play Saturday night in San Antonio, the Spurs are coming into 2025 with a real shot at being somewhere in the playoff conversation once Spring rolls around. While Denver may not be the cream of the Western Conference crop this season, they still boast the reigning MVP and are still at a level that Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs are trying to get to. San Antonio Spurs (17-16) at Denver Nuggets (19-13) January 3 2025 | 8:00 PM CT Watch: | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM) Spurs Injuries: Jeremy Sochan, back (OUT) Nuggets Injuries: Aaron Gordon, calf (OUT), Vlatko Cancar, knee (OUT) What to watch for There’s a very strong case to be made that Nikola Jokic should win his 4th MVP at the end of this season. Denver has needed Jokic to be Superman and through the first quarter of the season, he’s done just that. He’s averaging a career-best 30.7 points per game to go along with his usual rebound numbers (13 RPG) and for the 3rd season in a row is averaging just below double-digit assists (9.7). His 14 triple doubles lead the league, but what’s flying under the radar is his shooting percentages/efficiency. This is particularly true from behind the arc, where he’s shooting an absurd 49% on a career-high 4.6 attempts a game. The Joker has averaged 33.5 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in 4 games against the Spurs with Victor Wembanyama in the lineup. The other half of Denver’s 1-2 punch, there’s been a few questions asked about Jamal Murray in the year and change since Denver won the title. The Minnesota Timberwolves infamously appeared to bottle him up and frustrate him throughout the course of their 7 game series in last season’s playoffs. The slow start to this year did little to quell the noise, especially with Jokic having the kind of season that he is. He appeared to turn a corner in December though and has largely been Jokic’s reliable wingman once again. Murray has scored at least 20 points in 8 of his last 10 games while shooting 43% from 3. Following their victory over Atlanta, Denver head coach Michael Malone noted that, while his team has played much better as of late, they still aren’t where they want to be. He made special note of the defense, which gave up an average of 120 points a game throughout December. The Spurs should have opportunities to score against them, but getting stops against their high-powered offense (118.4 Offensive Rating, 4th) is going to be the main challenge. Russell Westbrook has been the feel-good story of the season. On his 6th team, Westbrook hasn’t looked this at home with his squad since leaving the Thunder. The shooting is still a minus, but Westbrook’s relentless play style even this late into his career has seemed to have a positive impact on a team that felt like it was sleepwalking during the earliest parts of the season. Russ and Jokic each finished Denver’s December 30th game against the Utah Jazz with a triple double. With another game against this same Denver squad tomorrow night in San Antonio, it’ll be interesting to see how Mitch Johnson manages his rotation tonight. If the Spurs are down big about halfway through the 3rd quarter, does he wave the flag and rally the troops for Saturday? For the Nuggets fan’s perspective, please visit Denver Stiffs. If you’d like to, you may follow along with the game on our Twitter profile (@poundingtherock) or visit our Game Thread!