Despite not having the second night of a back-to-back, the San Antonio Spurs were without Victor Wembanyama for a big matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. Wembanyama was kept out of action due to right ankle soreness, and the Spurs certainly could have used him to dismantle a Nuggets team they were beating for 90 percent of the game despite his absence before finally falling 136-131.
Wembayama's long-term health will always be a priority, as he is Spurs' best and most important player. His championship hopes will begin and end this year with the amazing Frenchman. And it seems as if his absence could extend beyond one game.
Following their loss to the Nuggets, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said that, despite expecting Wambayama to return for Saturday night's contest against the Charlotte Hornets, he could not know for sure whether he would be able to suit up for that game. The good news is that Wembanyama's ankle problem "is not a long-term thing," according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
Spurs err on the side of caution with Victor Wembanyama, still push Nuggets to brink
It's a testament to how deep and excellent a Spurs team is that despite being without Wembanyama on Thursday, they were in control for most of their game against the Nuggets.
Stephen Castle, in particular, brought his A-game for the Spurs on Thursday. He put up a stellar stat line of 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while De'Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes added 27 and 20 points, respectively.
But without Wembanyama, it was always going to be difficult to find a sustained defensive effort to slow down the league's best scoring team. The Nuggets caught fire in the fourth quarter, denying the Spurs a win that would have been one of their best this season.
