Watch: Denver Nuggets complete fast break with 3 passes, one dribble and an alley-oop in under 5 seconds
The San Antonio Spurs recently hosted the Denver Nuggets in a Western Conference matchup. During the first quarter of the game, the Nuggets proved why they were levels above the Spurs after pulling off an incredible fast break play.
With only 36.3 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Nikola Jokic initiated a fast break play coming from an in-bounds pass. The "Joker" passed the ball to Justin Holiday and immediately asked for the ball back.
Upon receiving the pass, Jokic dished it to an open Christian Braun across half-court. Braun then dribbled the ball once and found a cutting Peyton Watson. Christian then lobbed it up to Watson for a jaw-dropping alley-oop finish.
The San Antonio Spurs have become notoriously known for having a poor defense this season. Being aware of their weakness, the Nuggets capitalized on the situation and executed a perfect fast-break play that one would typically see during scrimmages.
Denver Nuggets vs San Antonio Spurs first-half recap
During the first half between the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs, the Nuggets had secured a 58-49 lead. Their first-half dominance was thanks to the potential 2024 NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic, who was scorching hot in the first two quarters after scoring 19 points. Jokic shot efficiently, knocking down 8-of-11 shots. He also added four rebounds, two assists and one block.
This could be seen as a sort of redemption game for Jokic after only scoring 12 total points against the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Despite putting the team on his back in the first half on Friday, eight out of nine Nuggets players who played in the first two quarters appeared in the scoring column.
Christian Braun and Michael Porter Jr. had six points each. Aaron Gordon, Reggie Jackson and Justin Holiday had five points each, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jamal Murray and Peyton Watson had four points each.
As for the San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama proved to the Denver Nuggets why he could be a major threat to the league in the near future. Wembanyama had an all-around performance in the first half with 11 points, six rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals. His offensive and defensive efforts helped the Spurs keep the game within reach.
The rest of the Spurs players lacked defense, hence the Nuggets were able to easily pull off a no-dribble fast-break play in the first quarter. The only other players in the defensive column were Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell, who each had one steal. With 16 games remaining in their season, the Spurs organization will look to analyze what they lacked and try to make major adjustments in the off-season.