Spurs Punch Ticket to Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals After Thrilling Victory Over Nuggets

Spurs Clinch Spot for Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinal

The San Antonio Spurs are heading to the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinal stage after securing a hard-fought victory against the Denver Nuggets, winning 139–136 in a game that saw over 20 lead changes. The win marks a significant achievement for the Spurs, officially punching their ticket out of the group play stage of the tournament.

Game Highlights and Turnaround

The match was an absolute dog fight. At one point, the Spurs faced an 18-point deficit, but a dominant 20-3 run in the third quarter brought them back into the game and allowed them to regain the lead.

The Spurs have been firing on all cylinders, demonstrating their team effort and resilience by winning five of their last six games, with their only recent loss coming against the Suns on the 23rd. This success has come even without star players Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.

Player Performances

The win was fueled by several standout performances:

* Devin Vassell: Vassell was the clear highlight for the Spurs, putting up a monster game with 35 points.

* He shot 12-for-17 from the field.

* He was lethal from beyond the arc, hitting 7-of-9 three-pointers for a 77% clip.

* Vassell was perfect from the free-throw line, going 4-for-4.

* Julian Champagnie: Starting the game, Champagnie contributed 25 points and shot 3-for-9 from the three-point line.

* Dylan Harper: Making his return against the Trail Blazers on 11/26, Harper scored 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field.

Defense on a Star

A particularly interesting development was the defensive assignment given to Carter Bryant, who guarded Nikola Jokic throughout the third quarter. Jokic still scored 21 points, which is lower than what he typically averages in such significant games. Jokic shot 7-for-10 (70%) from the field and 1-for-1 on three-pointers, falling just short of a triple-double.

On the Denver side, Jamal Murray had an amazing game, going off for 37 points.

Next Up: Quarterfinals and Regular Season

The Spurs are now expected to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Cup quarterfinal match-up given if everything continues on this path.

Looking ahead to the regular season, the Spurs are set to play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, November 30th. The game will be played in Minneapolis at 6:00 PM CST and can be watched on FanDuel Sports Network or listened to on WOAI 1200 AM radio.