Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Spurs split the home-and-away two-game series with the Nuggets After possibly the best win and game of the season last night in Denver against the Nuggets, the San Antonio Spurs fell in the second game of the two-game home-and-away series in an overtime classic. The first quarter felt like a continuation of last night with similar trends to the Spurs win in Denver. It was a chaotic start to the game with a fast pace transition style of play that suited the younger San Antonio squad early. Unfortunately just like last night, the birthday boy Victor Wembanyama found himself in foul trouble with two fouls in the opening four minutes. In no surprise, the three-time MVP Nikola Jokic took advantage of no Wemby on the floor and attacked inside for easy buckets. Another trend that followed last night was Spurs sharpshooter Julian Champagnie staying hot from three. The swingman hit his first two triples of the game from either corner for some much needed points for the home side. A good final 40 seconds of the opening period for the Spurs helped close the deficit to a one possession game, 30-27. To start the second, DeAndre Jordon replaced Jokic to spare him a breather and the Spurs took full advantage in the non-Jokic minutes as they took control and the lead of the game. The Nuggets struggled to hit a shot from the outside in the first half but the Spurs failed to extend the lead with some unforced turnovers before two thunderous Devin Vassell dunks ended the quarter on a high for San Antonio as well as the 55-54 lead. The second half started with a three-point party for San Antonio with 12 of their first 14 points coming from behind the arc. Harrison Barnes was responsible for three of those triples with Vassell adding the fourth to force a quick timeout from the Nuggets. The Spurs bench did a nice job of maintaining the lead by playing with pace and attacking the rim, while Jokic tried to do his all to make sure the game did not get out of reach for the visitors. The Spurs led by 11 heading into the final 12 minutes, 92-81. After winning the non-Jokic minutes in the second quarter, the Spurs lost them by six in the fourth as the Nuggets cut the deficit in half by the time the Joker reentered the game. It went down to the wire and after Vassell tipped in his own miss to tie the game the visitors had a chance to win with 14 seconds on the clock. As expected, Jokic got the shot but narrowly missed as the game went to overtime. In the extra period the Nuggets dominated the Spurs who weren't able to see the ball go through the net as Jokic did his part to take his team home, 122-111. Play of the game One on one with the reigning three-time MVP... BANG! W3MBY#NBAAllStar https://t.co/HneqEHixzX pic.twitter.com/txU7j7XKEY— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 5, 2025 Game notes Sochan Returns. After a one-game absence due to an ailing back the green-haired Jeremy Sochan returned to the lineup. You could see Jeremy was not at 100% during the contest as he wasn’t as active as he usually is and was quiet on the night as a whole. In nearly 26 minutes, the third-year forward scored 5 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and had 1 steal. Steady Vet. Another game, another Harrison Barnes savvy performance. In what already is one of the bargains of the summer, the former Sacramento King continued his strong form, scoring a Spur high 22 points on 8/14 shooting and 4/8 from beyond the arc. Birthday Boy. On his 21st birthday Victor Wembanyama asked for one thing... a win, and though he didn’t get that he did put up a huge stat line as his duel with Nikola Jokic entered another chapter. On his birthday, Wemby put up 20 points, soared for 23 rebounds, dished out 3 assists and had 5 stocks. Happy Birthday, Vic! Next game: @ Chicago on Monday The Spurs head back on the road for a four-game road trip starting with their second meeting of the season against the Chicago Bulls.