Nikola Jokic needed only one half against the San Antonio Spurs to remind them he's a bit of a problem for them, with or without Victor Wembanyama. And with or without the rest of the Nuggets' key contributors and starters at his disposal, as well. And that should just bolster their confidence against the Spurs in the likely second-round playoff meeting.
First, the Nuggets have to get past the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. But if both teams do meet up in the second round, the Nuggets clearly have an advantage they can feel good about thanks to Jokic.
Nikola Jokic only played the first half in the Nuggets' 128-118 victory over the Spurs, but he left the Nuggets with a 14-point lead going into the half, after scoring 23 points in just 18 minutes. It was all the reserve Nuggets needed to beat the full, but Wemby-less, Spurs.
The Spurs only sat Wembanyama for rest. They had the rest of the rotation in and playing at full bore. And they still couldn't figure out how to stop Joker and the Nuggets.
Jokic has had Wembanyama's number
Jokic has a 5-2 record head-to-head against Wembanyama, and the win moves the Nuggets to 3-1 against the Spurs this season. The Nuggets' other two victories came in come-from-behind clutch fashion, including the game where Jokic hit the "Sombor Shuffle" over Wemby to help ice it.
Jokic is averaging a staggering 37.3 points per game against Wemby head-to-head. 37.3! Against the probable Defensive Player of the Year? Clearly, Jokic has something figured out against Wemby.
And he dropped 23 points with a reserve cast around him that included David Roddy breaking out for a 15 and 13 game against a Spurs team that was only lacking Wemby. The Spurs are 30-4 since Feb. 1st, the best record in the NBA over that time, and three of their losses are against the Nuggets.
But first, Minnesota
Before the Nuggets can get to round two against the Spurs, they first have to win round one against an opponent that is all too familiar to the Nuggets. The Timberwolves.
The Nuggets were sent packing two years ago in the second round against the Timberwolves, but in 2022-23, the Nuggets beat the Wolves 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets went on to win the NBA finals that year.
So it's not like there isn't a great precedent set for the round one matchup. And the Nuggets were 3-1 winners of the season series against the Timberwolves this year. The Nuggets are in a fine spot. Some might think it's not the preferred road, but the numbers say it could be the easier path after all.