Barnes and Paul lead Spurs past the short-handed Nuggets 113-106

DENVER (AP) — Harrison Barnes scored 20 points to lead six San Antonio players in double figures and the Spurs beat the short-handed Denver Nuggets 113-106 on Wednesday night.

In his second career start, Jaylen Pickett recorded his first triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Russell Westbrook scored 30 points, but didn't have any in the fourth quarter, when he missed a running reverse layup that would have tied the game with 4 1/2 minutes remaining.

It was reminiscent of his gaffe one night earlier when he missed an uncontested breakaway layup, then commited a foul with one-tenth of a second left that allowed the Minnesota Timberwolves to steal a 140-139 win in double-overtime.

After Westbrook's miss, Blake Wesley's fastbreak basket at the other end was followed by Sandro Mamukelashvili's dunk as the Spurs pulled ahead 105-99.

The Spurs, playing out the string without injured stars Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, caught a big break when the Nuggets sat all five of their starters one night after losing to Minnesota 140-139 in double-overtime.

Denver coach Michael Malone challenged his reserves to play just like the starters, saying, “Our identity isn’t just tied to our five starters. Our identity, our culture permeates the entire locker room.”

Denver fell behind by 20 points in the first half and trailed 66-54 at halftime.

The Nuggets took their first lead on Pickett's drive with 10:30 left that put Denver ahead 90-88.

Spurs: San Antonio may be trudging through a lost season, but they did win twice in Denver. Chris Paul scored 17 points and had key back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Spurs a 101-95 lead.

Nuggets: Pickett's performance was a bright spot, as was the Nuggets' bounce-back from a 59-39 deficit.

Mamukelashvili pick-pocketed Westbrook with 3 seconds left in the first quarter, then slammed the ball home to give the Spurs a 33-21 lead. Westbrook was coming off an ignominious ending Tuesday night when he missed an uncontested layup in the closing seconds of Denver’s loss to Minnesota and then fouled Nickeil Alexander-Walker with one-tenth of a second left and a one-point lead.

The Nuggets had just two offensive boards in the first half and the Spurs had just three.

The Nuggets visit Golden State on Friday night, when the Spurs host the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, left, collides with San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili pulls in a rebound against the Denver Nuggets in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Hunter Tyson, center, passes the ball as San Antonio Spurs forwards Sandro Mamukelashvili, left, and Julian Champagnie defend in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Hunter Tyson, right, drives to the basket as San Antonio Spurs center Bismack Biyombo defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, right, drives past San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan, right, pulls in a rebound as San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, left, passes the ball over San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji, front, drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, left, drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes gestures after hitting a 3-point shot against the Denver Nuggets in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications, according to a statement released by his family.

Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said in a news release the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday.

Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.

Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens like bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis the response goes into overdrive. The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and make blood vessels leak.

Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May 10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a “shot” from a doctor after the race.

However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend, and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.

Busch, who was preparing to race Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

During the emergency call placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”

The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.

NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn’t feeling well recently.

“Yes, but I won’t go into any specifics," Keselowski said. “But then when he ran the Truck race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in my mind.”

Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on a driver's health — but most don't want to miss a race for fear of being replaced.

“There’s no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody else’s seat if we weren’t feeling well, and I think every driver feels that pressure,” Keselowski said. “All athletes do. It’s not unique to NASCAR in that sense. We’re all thinking to ourselves, ‘I don’t wanna be replaced.’ ... So you try to power through it the best you can."

Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series over his two-decade career, more than any driver in history.

All 39 drivers in the field for Sunday’s race will race with a black No. 8 decal on their car to honor Busch.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

An in memoriam photo of former driver Kyle Busch is displayed on the video board of the backstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

FILE - Kyle Busch waits for the start of a NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)