If any MVP voter hoped to clear up doubts by seeing the Nuggers – Spurs and the internal duel between Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyamasurely left with many more unknowns about who to reward with his vote. But although he MVP was present all the time, the main thing is that the match, which the Nuggets in extra time, 136-134offered a fantasy world of what we can expect in the Playoffs. The message they send the two teams is that they aspire to everything in the West.
It is as if the Playoffs They would have been a couple of weeks early. He Nuggets – Spurs It could have been one of the best matches of the regular League and makes it clear that the two teams are contenders to be in the Finals. And although the duel between Jokic and Wemby It centered everything, special protagonists appeared on the part of both teams.
Jokic was imposed on Wembanyama personally, 40 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds from Serbian 34 points, 18 rebounds and 7 assists from French. But Jokic made better decisions in the end, such as assisting Cameron Johnson for 119-122 with 1:24 left in regulation time, or the pass for the basket Aaron Gordon 6 seconds with which Denver sent the game to extra time.
The Nuggets They dominated almost the entire game because Wembanyama was more noticeable for almost three and a half quarters of the game, but Jokic gained prominence at the end first to put the Nuggets in the match and finally to lead them to victory. Both are up for the prize. MVP next to Shai Gigleous-Alexander. Surely one of the two centers will take it.
But in the great game not only the leadership and talent of Jokic They were decisive. The irruption of Aaron Gordonwhich little by little is entering more into the rotations of the Nuggetswas crucial. And not only because of the basket that tied the score at 124 that led to overtime, but because of their defensive intensity in the last minutes of regular time and their defense against Wemby in extra time. In one of the weakest teams at the back, Gordon It was a decisive stiletto in the victory.
And no one kept anything back. The two coaches wanted to win and they showed it, David Aldeman had 46 minutes to Murray44 to Jokic and 41 to Gordonwhile Mitch Johnson used 40 minutes Wembanyama, De’Aron Fox and Stephon Castle.
In terms of scoring, in addition to Jokicin the Nuggets stood out Christian Braun with 21, Cameron Johnson with 17, Gordon with 15 and Jamal Murrayvery poor throughout the game, with 15. In the Spurs after ‘Wemby’, Castle made 20 and Julian Champagnie18.
To the Spurs It is almost impossible for them to fight for the first place in the West, which they will take, barring a catastrophe, the Thunder. They are three games away when they have four left to play (five to OKC). DenverHowever, who has reached 50 wins, he longs for the third place that the Lakers those who equal in wins although with one game less than the Californians. But among the injuries of Doncic and Reavesthe yellows will have a difficult time defending their position.
And if Denver is third, we can now start salivating with a Spurs – Nuggets in the second round of the Playoffs. Although we will have to wait a long time for them to meet because they have to play one more game, which will be the last of both teams in the regular League, in Saint Anthonythe early morning of Tuesday the 14th.