Nikola Jokic scores 42 and outduels Victor Wembanyama in Nuggets' 110-105 win over Spurs

DENVER (AP) — Chalk this one up to Nikola Jokic after Victor Wembanyama came up just short of outdueling the player who is hoping to soon pick up his third MVP award.

Jokic scored 42 points and outdueled the Rookie of the Year favorite in Denver's 110-105 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night to retake sole possession of first place in the West.

Jokic also grabbed 16 rebounds and had six assists. Wembanyama had 23 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists and nine blocks. Three of Jokic's baskets came on rare dunks, something he said he had to do facing the sensational rookie.

“He had like 600 blocks tonight, but we got the win,” Jokic said after Denver leap-frogged Oklahoma City atop the Western Conference playoff race.

The Nuggets (53-23) took a half-game lead over Oklahoma City, which lost 109-105 at Philadelphia earlier Tuesday night. The Minnesota Timberwolves (52-23) kept pace with Oklahoma City when they beat Houston 113-106.

Jokic's hook shot broke a 103-103 tie but Wembanyama's layup at the other end knotted it up again with a minute remaining.

Michael Porter Jr., who had 15 points and a career-best 16 rebounds, made a 3 with 28 seconds left to put Denver up 108-105 and Wembanyama missed a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left but the Spurs burned 10 seconds before Wembanyama fouled Jokic, who sank both free throws with 8 seconds remaining.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he couldn’t be happier with how Wembanyama led his team to a near upset of the defending NBA champions despite missing several injured starters.

“That’s one of the most competitive games I have been part of for many years,” Popovich said. “For 48 minutes, under difficult circumstances, these guys just played ... the effort for 48 was really impressive, the best I’ve seen all year. And like I said (for) several years, losing sucks, but to see how far they have come this season is really a joy.”

Wembanyama was exhausted after trying to keep up with Jokic and logging 34 tough minutes in Denver's thin air.

“It’s very demanding” going up against Jokic, Wembanyama said, adding that the altitude was "just one difficulty among others. We have to adapt to this just like we have to adapt to plenty of other factors.”

Such as Jokic making 18 shots, twice as many as Wembanyama did.

Even with the Spurs missing Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson, all suffering from foot injuries, San Antonio was no pushover for the Nuggets, who were without point guard Jamal Murray (knee) for a sixth straight game.

The Spurs got double-digit scoring from seven players, including Malaki Branham, who scored 24, and Tre Jones had his third career triple-double (10 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists).

Hounded by Aaron Gordon, Denver's best defender, Wembanyama missed 20 shots, but more than made up for it with all his passing and his defense.

Wembanyama is making leaps in so many areas as he approaches his first lap around the NBA, and the Nuggets say it's scary to think how good he'll be one day.

“He's going to be really, really, really, really, really, really good,” Gordon said.

Jokic said Wembanyama has a good mix of humility, work ethic and hunger “and that's a really good combination.”

Jokic said he had to adjust his game against Wembanyama, altering the arc of his shots and getting extra space in the post against the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama, who is tied with Boban Marjanović as the tallest active NBA player.

“Of course I didn't do a good job today. He blocked six, seven shots,” Jokic said. “But he's a special player and you always have to do special acts to score against those guys. But I think when he learns and he figures it out, he's going to be an even bigger problem.”

Popovich, for one, is looking forward to more Wemby vs. Joker matchups to come, beginning with a rematch in San Antonio on April 12.

“Well, sure. Victor gained a lot of respect tonight becaus e Nikola is the best,” Popovich said. “For Victor to want to guard him and to learn, it was a real testament to how good he wants to be. To go up against Nikola, like I said, shows a lot. And he is learning by the minute.”

UP NEXT

Spurs: At New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

Nuggets: At Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic looks for a shot as San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic dunks against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, center, jokes with teammates before their NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., right, shoots over San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama argues for a call during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, center, pulls in a rebound between Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., left, and center Nikola Jokic during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DENVER (AP) — It wasn't so much another slow start or Anthony Edwards' 43 points that bothered Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone after the Minnesota Timberwolves thumped the reigning NBA champions 106-99 in the opener of the second-round series Saturday night.

It was more how the Nuggets allowed Edwards' hot hand to ignite his supporting cast as the Wolves improved to 5-0 in the playoffs and sent the Nuggets to a series deficit, something they never had last year while winning it all.

“Yeah, I wasn't worried about the start. It was 18-4. Jamal Murray didn't practice all week, couldn't make a shot. I'm more worried about our second-half defense,” said Malone, whose team will try to even the series Monday night in Game 2.

“I think at one point they were shooting 90%" after halftime.

The Timberwolves finished with a 73.7% clip in the third quarter, and those 14 baskets in 19 shots helped them erase a 44-40 halftime deficit and take a 73-68 lead into the fourth quarter, where Minnesota stayed hot, hitting 13 of 19 shots.

That's 27 of 38 in the second half for a 71% shooting clip.

“Naz Reid got going. Karl-Anthony Towns got going. Mike Conley got going — where Anthony Edwards carried the day in that first half," Malone said. “But second half I just felt not nearly enough discipline and physicality and they were able to get whatever they wanted.

“Seventy-one percent in the second half of a playoff game is unacceptable.”

Especially when Jamal Murray, the hero of Denver's first round against the Lakers, had zero points at halftime — his first scoreless half in his 59th career playoff game — and finished with 17 points. Nikola Jokic had 32 and Michael Porter Jr. 20.

“It seemed like they made a lot of shots, especially the second half,” Jokic said. “Some of them were open. Some of them were not open. It's part of basketball. We need to do a better job with that, just make them make tougher shots maybe or make an extra pass, just to make them work more for the basket.”

Edwards scored 25 of his 43 points in the first half, but he had very little help from his teammates until they came out of the locker room and couldn't miss.

“It'll be a quick exit if we allow four guys to get off like that," Malone said. "So, ANT's going to get his. We can do a much better job” on everyone else.

Here’s how hot the Wolves were after halftime: Edwards was the only Minnesota player to miss more than one shot — and he was 7 for 12.

It's always difficult to double Edwards and get the ball out of his hands. because the Wolves had a high-powered offense in which all five starters averaged double figures in points in their first-round sweep of Phoenix.

“I mean, any good team has multiple weapons,” Porter said. “One thing that makes us successful is when teams double Joker, we've got capable guys that can make shots” and make them pay.

“Similar with them. If you double ANT, he may be swinging the ball to KAT or Mike Conley or Jaden McDaniels, all capable guys. So, it's definitely a balance and something we've got to look at on film.”

The Nuggets went 10-1 at home on their way to winning the franchise's first NBA championship last summer and 3-0 at Ball Arena against the Lakers in Round 1 this year.

“Yeah, we definitely want to bounce back, especially in our home arena,” said Porter. “We've got to lock in from the jump. We know this team is very good, and we know it's going to be a long series. And it's going to be a good series. We've just got to get the next one.”

Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori, who filled in on the sideline for Chris Finch, who's recovering from knee surgery that forced him to sit in the second row, said the emphasis in Round 1 was on slowing the Sun's fast starts but against Denver, they had to focus on curbing Denver's prowess of closing out opponents in the fourth quarter.

“So, we went from starting games to closing games and just talking about taking care of the basketball, making sure we get good shots," Nori said.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, right, walks with crutches as guard Anthony Edwards, left, looks on in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives past Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) as forward Aaron Gordon (50) blocks the lane in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, left, fights for control of the ball with Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, front right, in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns gestures to the bench as a timeout is called in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch uses crutches to head to the bench in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, right, shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, left, in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards reacts after hitting a basket in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. defends in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) walks away from Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori after a brief exchange in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)