Saturday night at Ball Arena was the kind of game you don't forget. The Denver Nuggets trailed the San Antonio Spurs by double digits in the fourth quarter, rallied to force overtime, and then Nikola Jokic did what Nikola Jokic does.
With the Nuggets clinging to a two-point lead and seconds ticking away in overtime, Jokic caught the ball and shot it over the outstretched hand of Victor Wembanyama. The ball found the bottom of the net, and Denver won 136-134. It was the team's eighth straight win and it snapped San Antonio's 11-game winning streak in the process.
When asked postgame whether he shot the winner any differently than any other shot, Jokic kept it characteristically simple.
"If you guys remember, two years ago or whenever, he actually blocked the same type of shot," Jokic said. "We lost the game. I think it was nothing different. Maybe I just created a little bit more space."
Apr 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) rebounds against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the first quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesJokic Has Wembanyama's Number
Jokic isn't just being modest here. He's acknowledging that he's attempted this exact shot against Wembanyama before and got it rejected. The difference this time, in his own words, was one small adjustment in spacing. That's the kind of detail that separates great players from everyone else.
He remembered the block, he remembered losing that game, and when the same moment arrived on Saturday he found a way to create just enough room to get it off cleanly.
The numbers back up just how dominant Jokic has been in this specific rivalry. He's now 5-2 against Wembanyama and is averaging 37.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 9.1 assists in those matchups while shooting 55% from the field.
Jokic finished with 40 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds, three blocks, and zero turnovers on Saturday. That line made him just the fourth player in NBA history to record 40-plus points, 10-plus assists, and five-plus rebounds with zero turnovers since turnovers were officially tracked.
Peaking at the Right Time
The Nuggets are now 50-28 and on an eight-game winning streak heading into the final stretch of the regular season. This is a team that was dealing with significant injury issues earlier in the year and has found its footing at exactly the right time.
Jokic is the engine, but the supporting cast showed up on Saturday too. Christian Braun contributed 21 points, Cam Johnson added 17, and Jamal Murray finished with 15 points and 10 assists of his own.
Wembanyama was remarkable in defeat, putting up 34 points, 18 rebounds, seven assists, and five blocks. He's going to be a problem for years to come. But right now, in this moment, Jokic is still the standard.
And the fact that his game-winner was a callback to a shot that got blocked in a loss years ago tells you everything about how his mind works. He stores those moments, he learns from them, and when they come back around, he makes sure the outcome is different.