“We felt like we put ourselves in a position to win both,” Barnes said.
SAN ANTONIO — For a developing team like the San Antonio Spurs, splitting a two-game regular series with the Denver Nuggets could be seen as progress.
The Spurs went into Denver and picked up a 113-100 win on Friday, Jan. 3. The follow-up was an overtime thriller in San Antonio that ultimately ended in a loss, 122-111, on Saturday.
Last season’s 22-win squad would have been ecstatic for that result, but this year’s team, a split with the Nuggets, is not good enough.
“I think for us, there’s no moral victory,” Harrison Barnes said. “There’s no solace in splitting back to back.”
Individually, Barnes did his part to help pick up back-to-back wins over the Nuggets. He was the second leading scorer, pouring in 22 points while connecting on four three-pointers during the regular period.
However, the team scored only four points and was 1-of-9 from the field in overtime, and Barnes did not score in the extra period.
“I think for us, we felt that both games were winnable. We felt like we put ourselves in a position to win both,” he said.
The Spurs were in a position to get their second win against Denver, leading as much as 12 points. But the offense went stale in the fourth period, getting out-scored by the Nuggets, 27-16, and shooting 25% (6-of-24).
“It’s unfortunate that we let go of the rope a little bit there in the fourth and in overtime.”
Unfortunately, the Spurs could not close out the mini-series against Denver, which is not a sign that the bottom is falling out.
In their last five games, San Antonio is 3-2, owns a 105.1 Defensive Rating (third in the NBA), and boasts a 51% rebounding percentage (ninth in the league).
This is the makings of a team on the rise, with a winning mindset every time they step on the court.
“We have a lot of belief in our locker room. Every night we have an expectation to win.”
That sentiment is echoed by the team’s franchise player as well.
“We’re not here to play good games, we’re here to win games,” said Victor Wembanyama.