Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images 2025 begins on the road for the Silver and Black Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. Tonight sees one of the most interesting matchups in the NBA, a game featuring the most creative big men in the league since Tim Duncan retired, as the reigning MVP faces a player who could be a future MVP. Nikola Jokic isn’t known as an elite athlete, but he’s more athletic than he’s given credit for. He’s incredibly skilled for a big man (for any position, really) and he doesn’t waste a lot of motion on the court as he always makes the most efficient plays. Wembanyama is an athletic wonder, but his skill level is underappreciated, as he is able to outmaneuver players much smaller than him on the court with clever footwork and body control. Despite their difference in height and body types, the two players are more similar than it appears superficially. The Nuggets are one year removed from a title, having lost to the Mavericks last year in the conference finals. They’ve added Russell Westbrook to improve their depth this year, and his energetic play off the bench helps to remedy one of their main weaknesses last year. Aaron Gordon is out of the lineup tonight with a calf injury, which is fortuitous for the Spurs, who are missing Jeremy Sochan (sore back) who is one of the only Spurs who could match up with him on defense. This is a tough matchup for San Antonio, who haven’t been great on the road, and are facing one of the West’s top teams. It’ll be interesting if positive feelings carry forward from the blowout win over the Clippers. We’ll see if the Spurs can overcome their penchant for starting out slow in the first quarter tonight. Whatever happens tonight, it’s going to be a quick turnaround, as the same two teams play again tomorrow night in a different arena. Both teams should be tired tomorrow, as Denver is one of the more difficult cities to travel from for NBA teams, since the airport is a significant haul from the Ball Center. If either team gets out to a big lead tonight, expect both teams to rest their starters. Let’s go Spurs!! Pounding the Rock on Playback Game Prediction: Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook engage in a wrestling match at center court for old times’ sake as the final buzzer sounds. One final word: Go Spurs GOOOOOO!! San Antonio Spurs at Denver NuggetsJanuary 3, 2025 | 8:00 PM CT Streaming: League PassTV: Fanduel Sports Southwest Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments, but it is not against site policy to exchange email addresses, for instance.