A game between the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets would be a star-studded affair a few months ago. That was not the case on Wednesday night. On the second night of a back-to-back for the Nuggets, most of their starters including Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The Spurs missed Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Keldon Johnson on top of their other injuries. Despite the depleted roster, San Antonio was able to outlast the Nuggets for a 113-106 win.

The Spurs jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first half thanks to some hot shooting. At the half, the Spurs were shooting over 50% from the field and nearly 50% from three. In the second half, the tables turned completely, as the Nuggets went on a big run to take the lead in the fourth quarter. San Antonio’s veterans, Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes took the reins late to lead the Spurs to a close victory on the road.

Barnes led the Spurs in scoring with 20 points and 8 rebounds, knocking down three triples. CP3 may have had the biggest impact on the game, hitting some big shots and getting San Antonio settled down the stretch. He finished with 17 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. Russell Westbrook gave it his all to get the Nuggets back into the game with a game-high 30 points, with 11 rebounds and 6 assists.

With the win, the Spurs snapped a 5-game losing streak. They’ll head back home for a rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Observations

• Stephon Castle was one assist shy of his first career triple-double. He had 15 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists in the win. Castle was a force on the glass, rising above the Nuggets to snatch rebounds. He grabbed 5 offensive rebounds in the win.
• Blake Wesley found his jump shot in Denver. The guard was a perfect 3-3 from deep while putting up 15 points off the bench. Wesley has played well late in the season and looks more and more like a rotation player by the day.
• Sandro Mamukelashvili continues to be a March and April staple for the Spurs. He had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. His cutting and shooting open up a lot for the Spurs offensively, even if he gives up some interior defense. DeAndre Jordan took advantage of the minutes when Mamu played center, posting a double-double himself with 10 points and 17 rebounds.
• San Antonio struggled with turnovers in their last loss to the Orlando Magic. They had 20 giveaways in that game. They rebounded from that in a major way, turning the ball over just 10 times on Wednesday night.