Winners & Losers From Nuggets' Comeback Victory vs Spurs

The Denver Nuggets pieced together one of their biggest wins of the season thus far with a road victory over the San Antonio Spurs, 131-136, even while Victor Wembanyama was sidelined with a knee injury for his first regular-season absence since early January.

Despite being down as much as 20 points in the second leg of a back-to-back on the road, the Nuggets rallied together for a second half comeback thanks to some Jamal Murray heroics for a 39-point performance, and some great all-around execution that gives Denver life in the Western Conference before facing the LA Lakers heading into the weekend.

Let's take a look at the biggest winners and losers to come away from the action in San Antonio on Thursday:

Winner: Jamal Murray

The Nuggets simply don't win this game without the offensive outburst from Jamal Murray. The All-Star guard came away with a game high 39 points on 11-21 shooting from the field, paired with a perfect 15-15 clip from the free throw line.

Mar 12, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) dribbles in front of San Antonio Spurs forwards Harrison Barnes (40) and Carter Bryant (11) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

In the second half, Murray scored 30 combined points. In the fourth quarter alone, he scored 16 points on 5-7 shooting from the field, and was the leading force behind what would end up as a 20-point comeback from the Nuggets, thanks to a 42-25 run in the fourth quarter.

Murray's now put his name well within the conversation for an All-NBA selection at the end of this season, and could be an easy decision to land that nod, so long as he keeps playing at a level like this and continues to stay healthy.

Winner: Cam Johnson

It turned out to be another confidence-boosting night for Nuggets wing Cameron Johnson, who was both aggressive and efficient in his opportunites, just as he was against the Houston Rockets.

Johnson's 15 points against the Spurs is the second time since moving past the All-Star break that he's had two straight games scoring 15 points or more, and might just be the spark he needs to keep the ball rolling into more nights like this one, getting deeper into the season.

Loser: Tyus Jones

It's been a slow start for Tyus Jones in the beginning of his Nuggets tenure, and things didn't turn out to be much better for the veteran guard in this one against the Spurs. Jones played three minutes to log zero stats, but tied a team-low plus-minus of -11.

Mar 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Tyus Jones (5) controls the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the first quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Jones was never destined to get heavy minutes or have a huge role in the Nuggets rotation when he first signed his deal off the buyout market at the beginning of March. But through the four games he's played, for a total of just under 30 total minutes, his limited sample size hasn't been the most inspiring.

Winner: Spencer Jones

It was one of those nights that Spencer Jones stepped up to be the two-way standout wing that the Nuggets need him to be, especially while Peyton Watson remains out with a hamstring injury.

Jones had 19 points throughout the night on 8-13 shooting to pair with two steals and two blocks. It was the second highest scoring total the Nuggets' second year wing has had all season, and the second time this year that he's had multiple steals and blocks in a single game.

If it wasn't clear enough already, Jones will continue to be a vital part of the Nuggets rotation on both ends of the floor once the playoffs roll around. Even when this roster is completely healthy, he'll still find his way into the second unit as a nightly impact player.

Winner: Nikola Jokic

Jamal Murray may have been the star of the show for the Nuggets in this one, but it's hard to overlook what Nikola Jokic did in his 39 minutes on the floor for one of his most impressive stat lines of the season thus far.

Mar 12, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) looks over in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

31 points on over 50% shooting from the field, 20 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and two blocks, all to go along with a statement win in the second leg of a back-to-back in the process. Not too shockingly, it's the second time this season Jokic has had a monsterous stat line of at least 30-20-10-3-2, his last coming in a loss against the Golden State Warriors in February.

This time, Jokic walks away with a refreshing win against the second-best team in the West, albeit without Wembanyama on the floor. They'll have a couple more chances to face off against the French phenom in April, but for now, the two teams are now 1-1 on the season series through two meetings.

Loser: Jonas Valanciunas

In a night where the Nuggets played their starters a heavy dose of the minutes, it was Jonas Valanciunas as the guy who was left behind in terms of his total share of playing time.

The veteran big man had just five minutes on the floor, putting up four points and two rebounds. It was the fourth time this season that Valanciusas has logged six minutes or less in a single game when healthy.