Popovich, Spurs 'Woke Up' Fans in Victory over the Nikola Jokic-Led Nuggets

Gregg Popovich spoke to the media following the San Antonio Spurs shocking 128-120 victory over the Denver Nuggets last Friday night.

Despite being 12.5-point underdogs against the Denver Nuggets Friday night, the San Antonio Spurs willed its way to a 128-120 victory over the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. 

Head coach Gregg Popovich spoke of the team's effort in postgame media availability Friday evening.

"It felt great, the fans were really into it. We put them [fans] to sleep in the first quarter but then we woke them up," Popovich said. "It was great to have all those people there yelling and screaming, they deserve to have a good night. We don't get into the paint, you don't get those 31 assists."

The AT&T center crowd desperately needed a feel-good victory during a hard-to-watch season so far from their rebuilding Spurs franchise. Keldon Johnson, coming off a dud performance against the Houston Rockets, gifted the San Antonio fans a stunning victory. The Spurs forward recorded 23 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

Not a team riddled with extreme athletes, San Antonio must approach the game in a blue-collar sense. Popovich commended his team for "attacking the bucket" and stated the Spurs showed a lot of "grunt," especially against a championship contender and a two-time MVP in Nikola Jokic.

Although the Spurs are out of the playoff race, such a win showcase why San Antonio's rebuild has a few bright spots.

---

You can follow Lance Roberson on Twitter.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click Here.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Twitter.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Facebook.

Want even more San Antonio Spurs news? Check out the SI.com team page here.