The Denver Nuggets have been puzzling over their last three games, entering their Friday night contest against the San Antonio Spurs. They took care of business against the Houston Rockets in a marquee matchup, but suffered a setback against an inferior Sacramento Kings side in the following contest. They did bounce back against the Memphis Grizzlies, but couldn't hold form.

Despite the Spurs being without Victor Wembanyama, they lit the Nuggets up for 139 points, walking out of Denver with a 139-136 victory. Led by seven double-digit scoring efforts and a 35-point game from Devin Vassell, the Nuggets couldn't keep pace with the Spurs who had two 40-point quarters.

David Adelman Addresses Loss Bluntly

After the game, Nuggets head coach David Adelman spoke to the team's performance, pointing out the reasoning behind their fifth loss of the year.

"When you score 136 points and lose, that's an issue," Adelman said, highlighting the contrast between Denver's effort in the second quarter versus the rest of the game. "So we gotta sure some things up, gotta compete better on that end, and I have to rotate guys through to find the right five that will compete defensively, because I know we're gonna score."

Despite having a better night shooting from the field and beyond the arc, as well as out-rebounding the Spurs, it was turnovers that played a major part in Denver's collapse.

"On top of that, what doesn't help your defense is 17 turnovers for 30 points," Adelman added.

The Silver Lining

While Jamal Murray was stellar offensively with 37 points and seven assists, Denver had to be encouraged by what they saw from Cameron Johnson on the offensive end. He finished with a season-high 28 points, converting 6-of-9 shots from three. In addition, he added two steals and a block, having one of the highest team plus-minuses with +7.

However, neither Zeke Nnaji nor Tim Hardaway Jr. helped the team perform well when they were on the court. Despite Hardaway Jr dropping 15 points, both he and Nnaji had plus-minuses of -16 and -13, respectively.

There's no doubt this Denver team is talented and is doing what it can without Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon in the lineup. But with Victor Wembanyama sidelined for the Spurs, they are a far different team, and they can't make excuses because of that.

The Nuggets will now head to Phoenix for a showdown with the Suns on Saturday night for the second leg of a back-to-back. With tip-off at 9:00 p.m. EST, Adelman will hope to get his side dialed in before the contest.