David Adelman Praises Spencer Jones After Nuggets Rally Past Spurs

The Denver Nuggets found themselves staring down a 20-point hole on Thursday night in San Antonio, and it looked like the Spurs were going to cruise to their sixth straight win.

But Denver had other plans, and it was Spencer Jones who helped flip the script during a critical stretch in the second half.

After the Nuggets' 136-131 comeback victory, Adelman did not hold back his praise for the second-year forward who stepped into the starting lineup with Aaron Gordon out for hamstring maintenance on the back-to-back.

"Toughness... the ability to switch defensively... he flashed and found open areas in the post-ups with Nikola and then obviously with Jamal Murray picking and popping and making threes," Adelman said. "Good teams, that's what you need, somebody different every night, and tonight it was Spence."

Jones finished the night with 19 points, two steals, and two blocks, and his impact went well beyond the stat sheet.

With the Nuggets trailing by double digits and Nikola Jokic on the bench, Adelman went small and put Jones at the five, and that decision paid off in a huge way.

Jones scored eight points during a 14-2 run without Jokic on the floor, trimming what had been a lopsided game down to a one-point deficit at 109-108.

He kept the energy going when Jokic checked back in too, finishing plays in the paint and along the baseline throughout the fourth quarter as the Nuggets poured in 34 points in the final period.

It was the kind of performance that reminded everyone why Denver converted Jones from a two-way contract to a standard deal over the All-Star break.

Jones has come a long way from his rookie year, when he averaged just 1.3 points in 6.3 minutes per game across 20 appearances.

This season, he has carved out a real role in Denver's rotation, averaging 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from three in 54 games.

Those numbers do not jump off the page, but when injuries have hit, Jones has answered the call every single time.

He dropped a career-high 28 points against Dallas back in December, and he logged 40 minutes against Houston while guarding Kevin Durant and contributing 11 points with five combined steals and blocks.

Head coach Adelman has been vocal about how much the organization values what Jones brings, and the team made that clear by locking him in with a standard contract for the rest of the year.

The win moved the Nuggets to 41-26 on the season, putting them in a three-way tie for third place in a crowded Western Conference after back-to-back wins over Houston and San Antonio.

Jamal Murray poured in 39 points and went a perfect 15-for-15 from the free throw line, and Jokic delivered another 30-point triple-double with 31 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists.

When your role players step up like that, you are built for a deep playoff run.

Denver heads to Los Angeles on Saturday to take on the Lakers in a game that could decide the season series between the two teams, and if Thursday was any indication, Spencer Jones is ready for whatever comes next.