The Denver Nuggets (33 - 47) defeated the San Antonio Spurs (65 - 14) 102 - 98 on Friday. The result looks to be a bizarre one on the surface, but the circumstances tell the whole story. San Antonio played this game without almost all of their starters and the Nuggets actually came into this game as a favorite. The key for Denver was their defense, as they held the Spurs to 42 percent from the field and 21 percent from three - point range. Two steals late capped off this win, as it led to the final four points of the game for the Nuggets. San Antonio is secure in the two - seed in the west, so this was a good opportunity to rest players and give away a loss. Tim Duncan was the one starter who played, and he led the team with 21 points and snatched down seven rebounds in the loss. Veterans David West and Kevin Martin both played well too, as they scored 17 points a piece. On deck for the Spurs is their toughest test of the season, as they host the Golden State Warriors to protect their perfect home record. Denver has been struggling recently, but they are now the only team in the league to beat the Golden State Warriors and the Spurs this season. Jusuf Nurkic scored a career - high 21 points, while recording nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals in a rare start. Nikola Jokic started next to Nurkic and snatched down 15 rebounds of his own in the win. Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay continued his impressive season, as he tallied 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. Up next for Denver is a matchup with the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
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