Denver left San Antonio with a 128-118 NBA win after owning the glass and the middle quarters. At a packed Frost Bank Center (attendance 19,019), the Nuggets led for 42:43 and built a game-high 23-point cushion that the Spurs couldn’t fully reel in. Sofascore had the box score humming as Julian Strawther poured in a team-high 25 points and Nikola Jokic added 23.

Second-quarter swing and control of the boards

The game flipped in the second quarter. Denver unleashed a 22-point unanswered burst and won the period 33-22 to take command. From there, they never trailed.

The rebounding battle told the story. The Nuggets finished up 58-45 on the boards, including 19 offensive rebounds that kept possessions alive and fed 50 percent shooting from the field. Denver also edged the free throw line, 17/22 to 13/18.

Jokic steady, Strawther shines; balanced Nuggets scoring

Jokic led a balanced effort with 23 points on 7/12 shooting and 8/8 at the line, posting an 8.1 Sofascore Rating. Strawther hit four threes on his way to 25 points and added 6 rebounds. Bruce Brown was ultra-efficient with 14 points on 7/8 FG, while Jonas Valanciunas brought muscle off the bench for 16 points and 11 rebounds.

David Roddy delivered a rugged 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Curtis Jones gave Denver a lift from deep by going 4/4 on threes. Jalen Pickett chipped in 11 points and 6 assists. Short on regulars (including Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon), Denver still found answers all night.

Spurs fight back, but can’t close the gap

San Antonio had its moments, especially in a 35-31 third quarter that trimmed the deficit. De’Aaron Fox led the Spurs with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, while Devin Vassell scored 19 on efficient shooting. Keldon Johnson added 18 points and 6 boards.

Rookie Stephon Castle flirted with a triple-double at 10 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, and Carter Bryant filled the sheet with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. The Spurs fired 47 threes but connected on 31 percent, and the rebounding gap proved too much to overcome. Victor Wembanyama was among San Antonio’s absentees.

Numbers that mattered

– Scoring by quarter: DEN 37-33-31-27, SAS 34-22-35-27
– Field goals: DEN 50/100 (50%), SAS 45/99 (45)
– Threes: DEN 11/30 (36%), SAS 15/47 (31)
– Rebounds: DEN 58, SAS 45 (offensive 19-14)
– Time in lead: DEN 42:43, SAS 4:14
– Biggest run: 22 straight for Denver

A couple of late buckets by Roddy and Strawther kept Denver comfortable in the closing minute. For fans tracking live swings, player stats and Sofascore Ratings, this one was a tidy lesson in how extra possessions and free throws travel.