Spurs Face Serious Roster Issues.
Spurs Face Serious Roster Issues. The Denver Nuggets will aim to bounce back after a tough double-overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. Despite Nikola Jokić’s incredible 61-point, 10-rebound, and 10-assist performance, Denver fell short by a single point. Now, they’ll look to secure a win in the second half of a back-to-back as they host a depleted San Antonio Spurs squad on Wednesday.
San Antonio, already missing both De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama for the season, will be even more shorthanded than expected. With several key players sidelined, the Nuggets enter the matchup as heavy favorites.
Injury Report
Nuggets:
- Michael Porter Jr. (Personal) – Questionable
- Jamal Murray (Hamstring) – Doubtful
- Julian Strawther (Knee) – Out
- DaRon Holmes II (ACL) – Out
Spurs:
- Victor Wembanyama (Deep Vein Thrombosis) – Out
- Riley Minix (Shoulder) – Out
- Charles Bassey (Knee) – Out
- De’Aaron Fox (Finger) – Out
- Jeremy Sochan (Back) – Out
- Devin Vassell (Ankle) – Out
- Keldon Johnson (Back) – Questionable
Game Details
- Time: 9:00 PM MT
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
- TV Channel: Altitude Sports
- Streaming: NBA League Pass
Betting Odds
- Spread: Nuggets -9.5 (-110) | Spurs +9.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Nuggets (-420) | Spurs (+330)
- Over/Under: 232.5
San Antonio struggled without Sochan in their last game, blowing a seven-point fourth-quarter lead against the Orlando Magic. As the season winds down, the Spurs may choose to rest key players like Sochan and Vassell in hopes of securing a better draft position. Meanwhile, if things go as expected, Denver should have no trouble securing a win against the undermanned Spurs.
Spurs’ Stephon Castle Breaks Down Defensive Success Against NBA Star
Stephon Castle has quickly found himself in a demanding role for the San Antonio Spurs. Coming into the season, he was expected to be the top perimeter defender from the 2024 NBA Draft class—but he has exceeded those expectations. With De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama out for the season and Jeremy Sochan transitioning to a sixth-man role, Castle has emerged as the team’s best and primary defender.
Initially projected to develop alongside Wembanyama as part of an elite defensive duo, Castle has already proven he can hold his own in a leading role.
In Tuesday’s loss to the Orlando Magic, Castle posted 16 points and seven turnovers, but his defensive impact stood out—particularly against Franz Wagner. Despite Wagner having a four-inch height advantage, Castle has consistently made things difficult for him all season. Over 14 minutes as Wagner’s primary defender, Castle limited him to just 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting, including 22.2% from three. This is a stark contrast to Wagner’s season averages of 46.2% shooting from the field and 29% from beyond the arc.
Castle Explains His Defensive Approach
After the game, Castle shared insight into his defensive strategy against bigger opponents.
“One-on-one, I feel like I did a pretty good job,” Castle said of his matchup with Wagner. “He got a couple of catch-and-shoots early, but with a team like that, when you can load up and have heavy shifts, it makes it a lot easier. Just playing the numbers—guys are going to have good shooting nights.”
Castle will likely be tasked with another tough defensive assignment on Wednesday when the Spurs face the Denver Nuggets.
