After struggling on a recent road trip, the San Antonio Spurs’ improved defensive effort has helped them get some wins.
DeMar DeRozan had 24 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 as the Spurs withstood Denver’s closing rally to hold on for a 104-103 victory over the Nuggets on Monday night.
San Antonio won its third straight, limiting the opposition to 99 points in those games after losing seven of eight on their annual Rodeo Road Trip.
“It almost seems like we’ve just been able to flip a switch, which isn’t the easiest thing to do,” Spurs guard Patty Mills said, “but we have in the last three games. It’s been our defense that has won it for us.”
Denver rallied from 21 points down and held San Antonio scoreless over the final 2 1/2 minutes, getting the final nine points to pull within one, but missed three shots and had a turnover in the final 16.2 seconds.
“We hit back, but it was a little too much to overcome,” Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said.
Murray missed a 3-pointer with 16.2 seconds and a runner 5 seconds later but the Nuggets maintained possession as Spurs forward Rudy Gay tipped the ball out of bounds both times. Aldridge then slapped Nikola Jokic’s pass down and Gay was fouled after capturing the loose ball.
Gay missed the ensuing free throws with 4 seconds remaining. After San Antonio committed a foul on the initial inbounds, Denver guard Gary Harris missed a turnaround 3-pointer over Patty Mills from the left corner off a broken play as time expired.
“You’ve got to give them their respect, they hit some really tough shots,” Gay said. “Jokic found his shooters and they hit some really tough shots (and) most were contested.”
The Nuggets suffered their 13th straight loss in San Antonio.
Murray finished with 25 points and Jokic had with 22 points and 10 rebounds for Denver in its third straight loss. Harris had eight points on 3-for-9 shooting.
Denver fell two games behind Golden State for the best record in the Western Conference.
“This is good for us,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “As much as we hate to go through it, losing three in a row, this kind of failure, if we’re willing to learn from it, can be a positive. Let’s see what kind of fight we have, let’s see what kind of resolve we have.”
San Antonio began the night in eighth place in the West — one-half game behind the Los Angeles Clippers, who were playing the Lakers.
Coming off a win over Oklahoma City on Saturday, the Spurs have beaten two of the top three teams in the West in consecutive games.
This matchup was a possible playoff preview, but San Antonio is still fighting to make the postseason.
“We’ve got to have it to get to the playoffs,” said Spurs point guard Derrick White, who had 11 points and a career-high nine assists. “That was more important than future matchups.”
Denver trailed by double digits throughout the second quarter but cut the advantage to three points midway through the third. The Nuggets limited the Spurs to 4-for-10 shooting in the opening 6 minutes of the second half to start rallying.
The built a 36-17 lead to match their largest advantage after the opening quarter.
“We lost the game in that quarter in my opinion,” Malone said.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Denver’s last win in San Antonio was March 4, 2012. The Nuggets are 19-75 on the road against the Spurs. … Denver scored 17 points in the first quarter, which is 12.5 points below their season average for the opening period. … Trey Lyles missed his sixth straight game with a strained left hamstring.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: At Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
AROUND THE NBA MONDAY
–Dwyane Wade scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter with the Miami Heat winning their season-high third straight home game by topping the Atlanta Hawks 114-113 on Monday night. It was the highest-scoring quarter of the season for Wade, and it helped Miami beat Atlanta for the first time in four tries this season. Wade’s block of Atlanta’s B.J. Johnson in the second quarter was a record-setter of sorts. It was the 1,052nd blocked shot of Wade’s career, including playoffs — the most ever by a guard, one more than Michael Jordan. Vince Carter scored 21 points, all on 3-pointers, for the Hawks.
— DeMarre Carroll scored 22 points, Rodions Kurucs had 19 and the Brooklyn Nets easily snapped a three-game losing streak with a 127-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Caris LeVert added 18 points and Spencer Dinwiddie finished with 16.
— Danilo Gallinari scored 23 points, Lou Williams added 21 and the Los Angeles Clippers dealt another blow to the Los Angeles Lakers’ fading playoff hopes with a 113-105 victory. Gallinari led six Clippers scoring in double figures while they comfortably maintained a lead over their Staples Center co-tenants down the stretch. LeBron James scored 27 points and Rajon Rondo had his 32nd career triple-double but the Lakers took their ninth loss in 12 games.
—Kelly Oubre Jr. had 27 points and 13 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to beat the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks 114-105.
— Jrue Holiday and Julius Randle each scored 30 points to rally the New Orleans Pelicans past the Utah Jazz 115-112. Anthony Davis had 15 points and 11 rebounds in three quarters for the Pelicans.
— Harrison Barnes had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings beat the New York Knicks 115-108. Buddy Hield added 28 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Harry Giles scored 17 points before being ejected to help Sacramento end a three-game losing streak. More importantly, the Kings remained three games behind San Antonio for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.