SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 34: SPURS AT NUGGETS, 3-1-2025, 8PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

Wemby neutralized with a 4th foul.

They're implementing what we ought to have when Jokic picked up two fouls in the 1ST Q. NONE since then.

Collins with five fouls lol what the **** can you do versus Jokic?

Bring out Bassey for some physicality.

[G R E Y]

3RD Q: SPURS 87 NUGGETS 90

Well we took a Q off it seems, allowing 38, or something. Frankly I missed much of this Q but we gave away our lead before fighting back despite looking a bit anemic from what I saw.

Perhaps the altitude is taking its effect. Wemby has 6TOs, uncharacteristic.

Dev came on this Q, Steph, and CP3, and Barnes chipping in.

TOs are starting to add up with 10 so far.

In a close game, making only 7-12FTs is something we have to be better at - both getting them and making them.

Deep breath. Regroup. All in. Let's get it, Spurs!

[G R E Y]

Castle REALLY needs to learn how to shoot.

REALLY REALLY REALLY needs to get into the gym and put up like a million shots from everywhere.

[imagump1313]

I KNEW WHEN I SAW HIM ON THE FLOOR

[G R E Y]

CHAMPAGNIE TO AGAIN LATE IN THE GAME

WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[imagump1313]

WHY WHY WHY WHY???????

[G R E Y]

HE'S NOT A CLUTCH PLAYER.

JUST STOP SHOE HORNING HIM INTO THESE SITUATIONS.

HE'S GREAT WHEN WE'RE DOWN 500 AND HE GOES ON A HEATER IN THE LAST 8 MINUTES IN A GAME.

BUT HE'S NOT A PRESSURE SITUATION GUY. WE KNOW THIS BECUASE HE'S ALREADY SHOWN IT.

AND THERE HE IS AGAIN.

[G R E Y]

OH WAIT...

[imagump1313]

What is Champaigne celebrating about?

[DorianRo]

BOOYAHHH!!! Future GOAT baby. Get your PSA 10 rookie cards NOW while they're cheap. Its abnormal be as good as this kid at 20-21 years old LOL. Imagine how good he will be in 4-5 years. No top team would want the Spurs in round 1 of the playoffs with future GOAT there.

[imagump1313]

Denver isn't playing well but still an impressive win on the road. In spite of the tank commander trying to hand the game to them.....

[imagump1313]

Violent exchange between Westbrook and Wemby. Suspensions will follow......

https://streamable.com/a6rngx?src=player-page-share

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 113 NUGGETS 110

I'm SO DAMN PROUD OF OUR FULL TEAM WIN!

Wemby - I cannot say enough about how monumental your 100th game was, this on the last day of your 20th year on Earth, in human years.

35 on 14-21, 4-6 from 3, 3-4FTs, 18 boards (3 on O), 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks in 33 minutes. Played the final eight or so minutes with five fouls. Made the game winning contest.

Much better balance of 3s taken, both in number and shot selection in terms of time and place. If I had to find a quibble it's the 8TOs but he did get blitz doubled. Several of these were with Wemby rbinging the ball down too low rather than keep it high and maintaining a balance / forethought to spin out of and find teammates, but again, I'm splitting hairs in a generational tilt. This one we will look back on as Wemby gaining ground on an NBA champion, two - time MVP, and best player in the world and *not blinking*. If anything, Wemby rises to the occasion.

Dev started slow on O but gained momentum and that rhythm seemed to help him find his range. The more he played from muscle memory and just FLOW the better he got. Game sealing steal, hard push in transition and dunk was the D to O emblematic of what had us excited to extend him. I'm glad he reminded us - and me - of all he has to bring on a given night. He hustled hard for boards even though the shots wasn't falling, read D plays well covering perimeter attempts from the top of the arc all the way down to the corners just running his heart out, switching and doubling well. Led the team in FTs - much more assertive in getting to the rim. Very good all around game.

If I have to find some aspects of improvement it would be to not force rising up the being the second scoring option and just letting it come from the flow of the game more. It's a delicate balance sometimes where if you push a bit you find the right energy but push too much and it slips through your fingers. Dev can look for his shot at the detriment of team flow, hunting it with too deliberate and slow handles and decision making, and that tunnel vision can take us out of our flow. But as the game progressed, and when we needed it most, Dev stepped with a crucial game winning play on both ends. Just letting it flow. Finished with 18 on 7-16, 1-4 from 3, 3-6FTs, 6 boards (1 on O), 6 assists, 2 steals.

Loved Barnes' drive and nose for the ball. Leads by quiet example. Other Unc CP3 has struggled to score in the several games but he made up for it with excellent court vision, game management, and of course passing. Feels like he's been a Spur all along, doesn't it? Led us with 11 assists. That late game, end of clock scoop up that looked like it was supposed to be an alley oop for Wemby but instead just went it was one of those clutch plays that just tend to gravitate or find certain players, or rather that certain players just create. Vets coming through. Huge additions, both.

Castle has struggled to score but his D and his synergy with Wemby is clear. Their two-man game keeps showing flashes of what the future will look like and it is bright. High BBIQ, resolute players clicking on P&Rs be it small to big or vice versa is beautiful to watch grow. I'd rather Castle hold off on the 3s right now in favour of what he does best but I appreaciate the moxy he has in that he keeps taking them. There's a reason he's left open, though, so summer reps are surely on the goal list.

We had a well balanced nine-man unit with the bench providing a huge lift with their 37 points. Keldon had a vintage game leading the bench with 16, making 3-6 with those perfect half circle looping 3s, just C&S. Gone are the game where he needed the ball in his hand so much, where he was slow to decide what to do with it, where he only drove and bulldozed his way to the rim. He has improved so much as a player, not the least of which is his willingness to take on any role the team has asked of him. It's not easy going from first option one year to bench player the next, but he's found his ways to contribute time and again. Underrated.

I keep criticizing Julian - it's not his fault he's out there late in games - and then I remember he's an undrafted player who made his way onto the team and has on eof the best value contracts in the league. Yes that's to say I'm in retrospect trying to mitigate yet another near disaster of a TO late in the game. Luckily this time it didn't cost us the W. That was his lone TO. Timing is everythng. They're not all weighed the same, though they all add up. Dev should have gotten the ball to Wemby or Julian should have just done what he does best from that corner and shot it. Again, handles, drives, not the best things he's good at, so just go to tried and true bread and butter. To that end, he did make 3-6 from 3, including a crucial one from that very spot with just under two minutes left.

Collins looked like a kid trying to go at his dad on the garage out there when defending Jokic. You don't realize how big Jokic is until he dwarfs a 6'11 opponent and bangs him in the paint like a mack truck hitting a Ford F150. I saw on the GB board that Collins was criticized for a poor game but really who looks good vs. Jokic? There's a reason he's considered the best player in the world. Collins picked up five fouls in 15 minutes and I'm grateful because it's one less foul that Wemby could have gotten in any of those minutes. Collins hustled hard for baords and actually tied Wemby for team high 3 O boards. Got a steal and a block, too.

Tre filled in 17 minutes, played with energy, made 1-2, had 2 assists, 4 boards (1 on O).

Keldon was the lone bench player to get to the FT line on a low FT night for both teams. p.s. Somehow forgot to add Keldon's stealth blitz doubling help D. The crucial one was of course on the final D play. Excellent timing and jsut enough disturbing to force a pass. Speaking of which, we made 8-13FTs so I'm glad this didn't come back to bite us. We know we must focus and make the most of these.

Terrific game plan with attacking their paint with our movement and passing. It was predicated on our quick decisions with the ball and for the most part, except when some were hunting for their shots, we executed these very well. P&Rs, cuts into the paint, extra passes and kick outs, players at the ready having run out to their spots or moving over to more open ones, just smart simple cohesive basketball. We did well to break down their zone D as well.

We won the boards battle convincingly 56-41 including 14-10 on O boards. Boxing out could help us even more.

We won the PITP 52-48.

We won the second chance points 15-10.

We had 31 assists with excellent distributions among the starters in particular.

Good minutes balance among the starters and with the bench so that we are more fresh when we face them tomorrow at home.

It'll be intersting to see what adjustments we make. But for now, this is a great start to the new year, picking up off the energy and back to our D-first, team play identity from the previous game. Just goes to show what hustle and effort and decisiveness - faith in our system and identity - can reap.

Let's stay hungry and keep feasting, and back this up with even better bite at home.

GSG

[G R E Y]

NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[mikejames23]

+/- Leaders

Castle - +18
Wemby - +17
Barnes - +10
Keldon - +5
Tre - +9

Why not just start Castle all the way? We really like messing with our rotations.

Def. proud of our team. Beating the Nuggets proves we can be one of the best in the league.

Wemby's numbers game looks good historically.

Jokic's statlines are routinely insane. 41/18/9. Dropped a monster game but couldn't win.

Rumors of DeAron Fox. 7 more games and we're halfway through. I might post something up for a season review.