NBA Playoffs 2019: Denver Nuggets vs San Antonio Spurs live score updates, highlights and stats

Yash Matange

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NBA Playoffs 2019: Denver Nuggets vs San Antonio Spurs live score updates, highlights and stats image

It was a hard-fought Game 7. 

The Nuggets led by as many as 17 but the Spurs bounced back from a rough first start to bring it down to two points in the final minute of the game. 

However, a clutch Murray runner and a triple-double from Nikola Jokic, who played the entire fourth quarter, meant that the Nuggets won the game and clinched their first series victory in a decade.

Final: Nuggets 90, Spurs 86

Nikola Jokic recorded his second triple-double of his short ongoing playoff career, joining an elite duo: 


 

The Nuggets were outscored 18-25 in the fourth quarter but the young team held on, and now they move on to face the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in a couple of days. 

It's a testament to the young team's fight that they came out victorious despite shooting 2-of-20 from beyond the arc. They outrebounded the Spurs 53-45 and outscored the Spurs in the paint 56-44. 

For the Spurs, they had four players in double figures - Rudy Gay (21), DeMar DeRozan (19), Bryn Forbes (19), and LaMarcus Aldridge (16). However, failing to foul in the closing seconds, down by four, is where the Spurs might have lost the game despite their comeback attempt. 

A clutch runner by Jamal Murray seals Game 7 for the Nuggets, their first series victory in the playoffs since 2009. 


 

52.2 seconds to play and it's now a 2-point game!!!!!


 

The Nuggets' lead is down to 5!


 

4:13 to go and the Spurs have now brought it down to 4: 


 

The Spurs continue to keep the game interesting, cutting the lead down to 8:


 

End of third quarter: Nuggets 72, Spurs 61

Leading by 17 at one point, the Nuggets see their lead reduced to 11 as they outscored 25-27 in the third quarter. 


 

Jokic is now on triple-double watch - 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists while the Nuggets backcourt combined for 19 of the team's 27.

The Nuggets force Popovich to call a timeout at the 6:38 mark in the third quarter courtesy of a 9-2 run, capped off by this Gary Harris three: 


 

Halftime: Nuggets 47, Spurs 34

It's been a low-scoring first half to this Game 7 but Nikola Jokic has had it going: 


 

The Nuggets are shooting 18-of-45 from the field (40.0%), 10-of-13 (76.9%) from the free-throw line but have only made 1 3-pointer on 12 attempts (8.3%). 

Meanwhile, the Spurs are shooting 10-of-45 (22.2%), 13-of-13 from the charity stripe but have only made one 3-pointer on 10 attempts. Rudy Gay is the team's leading scorer with 11. 

A two-handed putback dunk by Mason Plumlee in the final seconds gives the Nuggets a 13-point lead at halftime. 


 

After missing his first eight shots, DeMar DeRozan gets his first field goal with an emphatic slam. 


 

A low scoring Game 7 between the Nuggets and Spurs. 2:08 to go in the first half, the Nuggets lead 41-30.

Patty Mills begins the scoring with a three but then the Nuggets go on a 6-0 run, forcing Gregg Popovich to call a timeout. 


 

End of the first quarter: Nuggets 23, Spurs 13

After scoring four in the first 9 minutes of the game, the Spurs 9 over the last three minutes of the quarter with Rudy Gay scoring all of those. Still, they trail by 10. 


 

Both teams shooting under 35.0% from the field and both teams have gone a combined 1-of-13 from beyond the arc. 

1:27 left in the quarter and Jokic has had a little in almost everything the Nuggets have done so far. 


 

The Denver Nuggets come out really aggressive on both ends of the floor. 

At 3:37 mark in the first quarter, the Nuggets are leading 16-4!


The same can't be said for the Spurs. 

Pregame

The starting lineups are in:

The Nuggets will go with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Paul Millsap, and Torrey Craig. 

The Spurs will start DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Derrick White, Bryn Forbes, and Jakob Poeltl.

 

Yash Matange

Yash Matange Photo