Spurs, Nuggets set to begin whirlwind back-to-back

The San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets have yet to play each other this season and will get reacquainted in a hurry with two games that tip off less than 24 hours apart.

San Antonio hits the road to play Denver on Friday night and the same two teams are at it again Saturday night in Texas. The Spurs are coming off a blowout win over the Los Angeles Clippers on New Year's Eve, while the Nuggets beat the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

San Antonio enters the new year with a winning record for the first time since the calendar flipped to 2019 at 21-17. The catalyst has been Victor Wembanyana, who leads the team in scoring at 25.6 points per game and is pulling down 10.0 rebounds. His 3.9 blocks lead the NBA by more than a block a game.

Wembanyana, who will turn 21 on Saturday, is the cornerstone of a franchise that has won five NBA titles but none in the past decade. He might be young but is wise enough to know that personal accolades are not what's important.

"Some people care about highlights, but we care here about the record, the win or the loss," he said. "It is the only stat that matters."

San Antonio has seven players averaging double digits in scoring. Devin Vassell (15.3), Jeremy Sochan (13.9), Keldon Johnson (12.1) and Julian Champagnie (12.1) are the next top scorers.

But the Spurs will not have Sochan available Friday after he left the win over the Clippers and was diagnosed with low back tightness.

The Nuggets will not have forward Aaron Gordon available for the fifth straight game due to a right calf strain. Gordon's absence has been felt more on the defensive end, where Denver has allowed 127.8 points in his most recent absence.

Denver's defense in the second half against Atlanta on Wednesday was much better than the first. The Hawks had just 49 points after scoring 71 in the opening two quarters.

"We weren't playing well on the defensive end, we weren't getting back in transition, there wasn't enough effort," the Nuggets' Christian Braun said. "We kind of knew that as players. We just have to stop trying to flip the switch and just set the tone and bring defense every night."

The Nuggets are on a three-game winning streak because they're averaging 135 points in wins over the Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz and Hawks. Russell Westbrook has stepped into the starting lineup for Gordon and has delivered a triple-double and a double-double in the last two games.

Westbrook has averaged 12.2 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds in his first season with Denver. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic again is making a case for the award with 14 triple-doubles, including a 23-point, 17-rebound and 15-assist effort in the win over the Hawks.

Jokic is third in the NBA in scoring (30.7 points), third in rebounding (13.0) and second in assists (9.7). Jamal Murray (19.8 points) and Michael Porter Jr. (18.8) are second and third on the team in scoring.

--Field Level Media