Spurs Edge Nuggets 139-136 in NBA Cup Thriller

DENVER, CO — The San Antonio Spurs secured a thrilling 139-136 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, advancing to the NBA Cup quarterfinals. Devin Vassell led the charge with a season-high 35 points, nailing 7-of-9 from beyond the arc.

Julian Champagnie added a key performance with 25 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs erased an 18-point third-quarter deficit. This win marked the end of Denver’s six-game road winning streak and the Nuggets’ third consecutive home loss.

The Nuggets, who started strong, saw Jamal Murray score 37 points and Cam Johnson chip in 28. Murray also made history by becoming only the fifth player in franchise history to surpass 10,000 career points.

Despite injuries sidelining Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and key Nuggets players like Aaron Gordon, the game turned into a scoring frenzy. San Antonio’s resilience shone as they capitalized on Denver’s turnovers, scoring 30 points off 17 mistakes.

The first half ended with the Nuggets leading 74-59, thanks to an impressive 23-6 run. However, the Spurs began to chip away at the lead in the third quarter, closing the gap to just one point, 104-103, entering the final period.

In the fourth quarter, San Antonio maintained their momentum, reclaiming the lead late in the game on a hot streak from Vassell, who made back-to-back three-pointers. Denver struggled to regain control and ran out of time, allowing the Spurs to secure their victory and eliminate the Nuggets from the NBA Cup competition.

Next up, the Spurs will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, while the Nuggets will travel to Phoenix for their next game.