San Antonio heads to Denver shorthanded for an NBA Cup showdown, leaning on De'Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell to challenge Jokic and a rolling Nuggets squad.
The San Antonio Spurs face one of their toughest tests of the young season Friday night, traveling to Denver to take on the Nuggets in an NBA Cup in-season tournament matchup.
San Antonio enters at 12-5, good for fifth in the Western Conference, while the 13-4 Nuggets sit third and are playing like defending champs who expect to stay on top.
Denver is a brutal matchup even when you're fully healthy, and the Spurs aren't.
Victor Wembanyama remains out with a calf strain, and rookie guard Stephon Castle is sidelined with a hip issue. That leaves San Antonio relying heavily on De'Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and a defense that's quietly become one of the league's best early-season surprises.
The numbers tell the story.
San Antonio is fourth in the NBA in scoring defense, giving up just 111.6 points per game, and opponents shoot just 44.9 percent against them.
That discipline will be tested by Denver's pristine ball movement and Nikola Jokic's playmaking mastery. The Nuggets rank sixth in the NBA with 29.2 assists per game, and Jokic himself is averaging 11.1 dimes.
Denver's well-oiled machine is rolling lately, going 8-2 in its last 10 while averaging 123.3 points and shooting over 50 percent from the field.
Jamal Murray has been cooking at 23.2 points and 6.8 assists per game, while Peyton Watson, yes, Peyton Watson, has averaged an absurd 27.0 points over his last 10 outings.
But the Spurs haven't exactly limped into this one.
San Antonio is 7-3 over their last 10, averaging 118.2 points, 46 rebounds, and a disruptive 8.7 steals per game. Fox continues to shine with his newfound leadership role, averaging 3 made threes per game during that stretch, while Vassell adds 14.4 points and 3.8 boards nightly.
Their combined shot creation will be pivotal if the Spurs hope to keep pace with Denver's firepower.
The Nuggets are banged up, too.
Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon are both out, and rookie Julian Strawther is questionable with a back issue. That could open a small window, but the location alone makes this a mountain of a challenge.
Altitude, Jokic, and a hungry Denver squad. No Wemby. No excuses.
If the Spurs want to make a statement in the NBA Cup, this is the night to do it.