In a thrilling battle of the centers, the Denver Nuggets upset the San Antonio Spurs 110-105.

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 42 points, going 18-for-32 from the field. Jokic added 16 rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two blocks in over 38 minutes to help the Nuggets edge off a San Antonio Spurs team fighting for dignity. Jokic was utterly dominant, putting the Nuggets on their backs throughout the game as Denver struggled to hit jump shots.

Jokic repeatedly matched up with Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, who once again demonstrated why the hype was so strong. Wemby wasn’t the most effective scorer, but his rim protection was amazing. Wembanyama nearly had a quadruple-double in 34 minutes, tallying 23 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, and nine blocks. The Spurs rookie changed more shots than he blocked, making approaching the rim difficult for the Nuggets.

Aaron Gordon made care to emphasize this. “He’s going to be really, really, really, really, really, really good.”

The Nuggets were not as sharp as they needed to be tonight, and it almost cost them. Denver’s transition defense and defensive rebounding left much to be desired. The Nuggets were excellent when they established their defense and allowed only one shot attempt, but it took until the fourth quarter for them to allow only 20 points on 27% shooting from the field.

Denver took advantage, but the Spurs hung on with several empty offensive possessions from Denver. Then, late in the game, with about 30 seconds remaining and the score equal, Christian Braun rushed the hoop, drawing attention from multiple players, including Wembanyama, under the basket. Braun sent the ball out to Michael Porter Jr. for a huge open three-pointer, one of Porter’s three of the night, and it couldn’t have come at a better moment.

“Big play, obviously,” Malone said. “It appears you expect Michael Porter to make every shot. Obviously, he didn’t have the best shooting night, but sometimes it doesn’t matter what you shoot. It’s when you make the shot.”

Malone was also quite nice to Christian Braun for making the pass under pressure. Even though Braun is not a point guard, he finished with seven assists tonight and did an excellent job filling in for Jamal Murray.

“He was attacking downhill, and now that I’m reading your point, they collapsed on me?” Have they got shot blockers? That suggests someone is open for drive-and-kick basketball.”

Aaron Gordon also had a fantastic game for the Nuggets, scoring 23 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and providing four assists. Gordon shifted to Wemby in the second half (Jokic guarded him in the first) and did about as well as you could expect. Gordon is an unsung hero for the Nuggets, and his ability to increase defensive effort and switch from 1 to 5 has a positive impact on the team defense, especially when Jokic is not on the floor.

Gordon went down hard early in the fourth quarter, landing directly on his right hip after colliding with Spurs youngster Cidy Sissoko. Nuggets supporters held their breath for a few seconds before Gordon stood up and remained in the game.

“He’s a really big part of our culture, our identity,” Nikola Jokic praised Gordon after the game. “I always say that the guy protecting the best player, whether it’s a small guard, shooter, big man, or anything, is ready to answer the call. I’d say 80% of the time, he’s doing a great job, and tonight he scored a bunch.”

Gordon has consistently accepted his Nuggets role, and the Nuggets understand the sacrifices he makes in terms of scoring while in Denver.

“I always talk to him: some nights you’re going to score eight, and some nights you’re going to score 25 or whatever, and I think he understands,” he said. “I think that’s the best thing about him.”

In the end, it was Jokic. His shotmaking and steady hand at the conclusion of the game were critical for the Nuggets. 42 points is an impressive total, especially given the Nuggets’ struggles. The Joker delivered a big time performance.

The Nuggets technically reclaimed first place with a win and an Oklahoma City Thunder loss. As I said in today’s previous article, I believe the Nuggets will finish third in the Western Conference. Still, a Thunder defeat helps Denver, because the top three teams (Nuggets, Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves) all have 23 losses.

Denver has six games remaining, while the Thunder and Timberwolves each have seven, including tiebreakers. As a result, the Nuggets have little to no flexibility in their remaining six games of the season if they want to finish first in the West. However, the Nuggets have an easier schedule than either of the other two teams, giving them an advantage.

If it were up to Nikola Jokic, he would play every game in the regular season.

“Of course, stay healthy, but I think I’m going to play every game until the end to stay in a rhythm,” Jokic said when asked about Denver’s last six games. “If I feel a little bit off…my goal is to play every game, and that’s my mindset, but if something happens, I will let you guys know.”