Looking Back: Did Spurs' Late-Season Victory Over Nuggets Affect Playoffs?

In a game the Denver Nuggets were heavily favored to win, the San Antonio Spurs made sure to give their fans a show, knocking off the defending champions and knocking them out of sole possession of the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Apr 12, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) box out for a rebound during the second half at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

To say the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets were in very different predicaments at the end of the regular season would almost be an understatement. 

While the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets were gunning for a top seed in the Western Conference, the Spurs were finishing off a season at the bottom, with their glimmering hope being Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama. Both teams meeting on April 12 should’ve gone a predictable way given the circumstances, but the result was anything but that. 

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After entering the fourth quarter down 13 points in what could’ve been a meaningless game, San Antonio battled back to bring it within just one point at the 30-second mark. The following possession saw it put intense pressure on Denver’s offense, but just when it looked like a stop was inevitable, Jokic found the ball at the free-throw line with little to no coverage.

About 99% of the time, Jokic makes that shot. Only 6-foot-1 Devonte’ Graham stood in the way of the MVP and the basket. But miraculously, the ball clanked at the rim.

The Spurs scrambled to quickly get the ball up the floor with only nine seconds to spare. Tre Jones launched an outlet pass up to Graham, who had quite the last few minute stretch of the game, scoring six points that included their previous make. He caught it, took a euro-step to the basket and launched a tough floater over Jamal Murray. 

“Yes,” the Spurs' announcer emphatically called over the mic. 

San Antonio didn’t have much to celebrate for most of its 2023-24 season, but Graham provided a moment of excitement that rocked Frost Bank Center. The arena erupted so loud that one might’ve thought it was a playoff win, but it was simply just a hard-fought one over a championship contender.

The home crowd appreciated that. 

Apr 12, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts after a victory over the Denver Nuggets at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

The game also did mean something for the entire league, however. The Nuggets entered the game with sole possession over the No. 1 seed, but the loss caused them to fall to a three-way tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder. And once the final games for the respective teams wrapped up, they completely lost possession. 

Denver finished as the second seed, resulting in it falling on the same side of Minnesota. The two forces pitted against each other in an uber-competitive second round series, but it was the Nuggets that ultimately collapsed at the end of the seven games. 

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Although the Dallas Mavericks are the team that completely made it out of the West, the potential of Denver performing better on the opposite side of the bracket is a curious hypothetical. It split the season series against the Timberwolves 2-2, while taking a 2-1 advantage against the Mavericks. 

Minnesota’s defense did quite the number on the Nuggets, holding them to just 70 points in Game 6 and 90 points in Game 7. It proved to be the less desirable matchup considering that and the size its roster had, making life incredibly difficult for the Mile-High City. 

It’s fun to look back and wonder if the Spurs could’ve played any role in how the playoffs developed, especially in the case of Denver’s run. It’s hard to say how it would’ve shaken out if it did take control of the No. 1 seed, but its chances were likely diminished in some way thanks to a truly shocking upset. Plus, it makes for a good lesson:

You can never count out your opponent in the NBA.