San Antonio has ruled out Victor Wembanyama (ankle) for the upcoming nuggets vs spurs matchup, a confirmed development that lands as the Spurs ride a five-game win streak. That absence reframes how San Antonio will deploy its rotation against Denver, where Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray supply the Nuggets’ season scoring punch.
Nuggets Vs Spurs: Spurs rule out Victor Wembanyama (ankle)
Victor Wembanyama is listed out with an ankle issue, and San Antonio enters the game as winners of five straight. The Spurs sit 48-17 and second in the Western Conference, while Denver is 40-26 and fifth. Wembanyama is averaging 24. 2 points, 11. 1 rebounds and 2. 9 assists, and San Antonio leads the NBA with 35. 2 defensive rebounds per game, a mark the team achieves in part with Wembanyama contributing 9. 2 defensive rebounds per game.
San Antonio Spurs form vs Denver Nuggets scoring trends
San Antonio’s last 10 games show a 9-1 record with team averages of 121. 6 points, 44. 8 rebounds, 30. 7 assists, 7. 2 steals and 6. 9 blocks while shooting 49. 8% from the field; opponents have averaged 110. 1 points against them. Denver’s last 10 are 5-5, averaging 121. 2 points, 46. 1 rebounds, 28. 9 assists, 6. 9 steals and 3. 1 blocks while shooting 48. 5%, with opponents at 116. 1 points. Over the season Denver scores 120. 4 points and outscored opponents by 4. 1 points per game, while the Nuggets shoot 49. 3% from the field versus the 45. 1% the Spurs’ opponents have shot this season.
If Victor Wembanyama remains out: two scenarios for Spurs and Nuggets
Scenario A — If Wembanyama’s absence continues: San Antonio’s recent form suggests the Spurs can absorb one game without him. Their five-game streak and 9-1 last-10 run come with a 48. 1% season field-goal rate and a 49. 8% mark over the last 10, giving the Spurs offensive firepower even without Wembanyama. The team has been 28-13 against Western Conference opponents, and its previous meeting with Denver ended in a 139-136 Spurs win on Nov. 29, which signals established scoring depth the Spurs can lean on if Wembanyama sits.
Scenario B — Should Denver lean on Jokic and Murray: The Nuggets’ scoring profile points to a straightforward response if San Antonio lacks Wembanyama. Nikola Jokic is averaging 29. 1 points and 12. 9 rebounds while shooting 53. 9% over the last 10 games, and Jamal Murray is averaging 25. 5 points and 7. 1 assists. Denver’s season scoring of 120. 4 points and its 49. 3% shooting rate give the Nuggets two proven outlets to exploit matchups should the Spurs’ interior presence be reduced.
What the context does not resolve is whether Wembanyama will be available later in the matchup window, and that availability is the single concrete variable missing from this snapshot. The next confirmed signal from the context is the teams’ head-to-head rematch — their second meeting this season after the Nov. 29, 139-136 Spurs victory — and that result, combined with the Spurs’ five-game streak and Denver’s scoring splits, will clarify how both teams adjust rotations and game plans.
