Friday’s contest between the San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets was a classic big-man battle between their centers. The Spurs stole the game from the Nuggets in Denver with a final score of 113-110. Nikola Jokic, and last year’s Rookie of the Year, Victor Wembanyama, were the game’s top two scoring leaders, recording 41 points and 18 rebounds, and 35 points and 18 rebounds, respectively.
Victor Wembanyama was playing his heart out against Jokic and proved to be a tough challenge for the veteran. On the final possession of the game, the Nuggets were trailing by a single point and passed the ball to their always-reliable 6’11” center, Jokic. However, the 7’3″ Wembanyama was tailing Jokic and managed to block his shot.
After the game, Denver’s former champion lauded the French rookie’s phenomenal performance in the press conference.
I think he’s better this year than last year, and I think he’s gonna get even better… I think he’s a special player, one of a kind, [and] will be remembered forever.
Nikola Jokic on Victor Wembanyama
Nikola Jokic says Victor Wembanyama is “one of a kind” and “will be remembered forever.”
Full answer: pic.twitter.com/BI79vyJ6pJ
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 4, 2025
This match-up will go down in the history books as one of a kind in the past 40 years when the centers of opposing teams went head-to-head in a one-on-one duel—since Moses Malone versus Clark Kellogg in 1983.
Despite the defeat, Denver’s center delivered a forty-point performance for home fans. Nikola Jokic ended the night with 41 points on 15-of-36 shooting from the field and 3-of-10 from beyond the arc. In 37 minutes on the court, he grabbed a striking 18 rebounds and dished out 9 assists, along with two steals on the defensive end.
Victor Wembanyama’s clutch plays in crunch time
From the start, Wemby was on Nikola Jokic. He began the night with a block and ended the night with a block. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since he has already passed 90 percent of players in NBA history in career blocks His tight defense on Jokic was the reason why the Serbian had a tough shooting night in terms of efficiency. From making shots to deterring shots, Wemby was predominant on the court.
Wemby:
35 PTS
18 REB
4 3PMJokic:
41 PTS
18 REB
9 ASTFirst opponents with 35+ PTS and 18+ REB in the same game since Moses Malone vs. Clark Kellogg in 1983.pic.twitter.com/DkCJP6qTXT
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) January 4, 2025
The victory couldn’t have been more fitting for Wembanyama, as he became the only player in NBA history to record 1,500+ points, 700+ rebounds, 250+ assists, 250+ blocks, and 100+ 3-pointers in his first 100 games, surpassing none other than Nikola Jokic himself. This historic start could be the beginning of a healthy rivalry between these two international Bigs.
Russell Westbrook and Wemby got me crying bro pic.twitter.com/nqZtl31BoT
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) January 4, 2025
The game was tense, and players were talking trash to get on each other’s nerves. One such moment came when Russell Westbrook patted Wembanyama on his head, which prompted the Frenchman to reciprocate, going back and forth.
In the end, the young gun had an under hand, no pun intended. Victor Wembanyama registered 35 points, making 4 of his 6 three-point attempts. He matched Jokic for 18 rebounds, while throwing 4 dimes. His hustle stats included 2 blocks and one steal. Next, Spurs will host Jokic and his squad in AT&T Center. It will be interesting to see who will come on top this time in back-to-back battle between these Bigs.
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