Denver Nuggets

Jokic Quiet, Nuggets Crumble in the 3rd: Takeaways vs. SA

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:48 p.m. ET

Fansided, Tim Hart/FanSided via Nugg Love

Feb 4, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) shoots against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

After logging his first career triple-double, Denver’s Nikola Jokic was essentially silenced by the San Antonio Spurs, who ran away with the game after halftime.

The Nuggets went into halftime down just 6 points to the Spurs, who then out-scored Denver by 13 in the third quarter, sending them into the 4th with a 19 point lead.While San Antonio had control of the ballgame from the tip, Denver was able to hang around until the halftime break.

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Feb 4, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (20) shoots against the Denver Nuggets during the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

Every player on the Spurs got involved, especially their veteran guards, both offensively and defensively.Tony Parker was fantastic, ending with 18 points on a perfect 8 for 8 shooting night. Joining Parker were the hot hands of Patty Mills and Manu Ginobli, who shot a collective 9 of 12 from the field and 6 of 7 from deep, for a combined 28 points.Denver looked sluggish when tasked with handling the elite pick and roll game that San Antonio uses so well, which set their guards up for a good amount of wide open shots, which the Spurs always make their opponents pay for.nuggetsNugg Love 15hNikola Jokic Could Be On His Way To Becoming The Best Nugget Of All TimeMore headlines around FanSided:15h - W2W4: Nuggets At Spurs16h - Wilson Chandler Holds On To Another Big One As The Denver Nuggets Land A Win Against The Milwaukee Bucks, 121-11718h - Denver Nuggets: Denver’s Developing Identity17h - Denver Nuggets: Wilson Chandler Denies Trade Request, Wants Consistent Role20h - Denver Must Contain AldridgeMore News at Nugg Love Kawhi Leonard, while not displaying the same sort of shooting efficiency as his teammates, had a characteristically well-rounded game.Beyond his stats, of 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals, Leonard’s presence alone proved to be an unsolvable problem for Denver once again, who seem destined to crumble every time that the ball goes into Kawhi’s hands.Leonard is becoming a career Nugget-killer, as Denver is yet to find a player that can handle Kawhi one-on-one, and his ability to take advantage of double-teams is among the best in the league.

For Denver, Jamal Murray had the touch, exclusively.

Feb 4, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) dunks against the Denver Nuggets during the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately for Nuggets fans, outside of Jamal Murray’s shooting, there was not much to celebrate in Saturday’s loss, at all.

Jokic saw foul trouble, and played only 15 minutes. He ended with just 11 points on 5 of 9 shooting, with 2 assists and just 1 rebound. He also turned the ball over 2 times and, as mentioned, found himself in foul trouble early on, which was likely the root of his poor performance.Foolish fouls are one of Jokic’s leading culprits, along with poor rim protection, which too was exploited by the Spurs. Most likely, this disappointed game will prove to be a learning experience for the young Serbian, who will have a lot of tape to analyze with his coaches.Other than Jokic and Murray, only one other Nugget scored in double digits, and just barely. Wilson Chandler logged 10 points on 4 of 11 shooting, leaving the rest of Denver’s roster in single-digits, including Will Barton, Kenneth Faried, Gary Harris, Jameer Nelson, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Jusuf Nurkic.Next: Looking at Denver's Team Stats

Feb 4, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) grabs a rebound against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

Collectively, it was an ugly night, reflected most obviously through Denver’s general lack of scoring, but also apparent in their team stats as well.