Wembanyama absent, Spurs fall to Nuggets 131-136 in San Antonio

Without their franchise cornerstone, the San Antonio Spurs fell to the Denver Nuggets 131-136 in regular season play at Frost Bank Center on March 12, 2026. Victor Wembanyama, sidelined by an ankle injury, watched from the sidelines as a relentless Jamal Murray dismantled his team’s hopes down the stretch.

131-136: How the Nuggets Pulled Away Without Wemby to Answer

San Antonio came out with genuine intensity, leaning on Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox to shoulder the offensive load in the absence of their cornerstone. The Spurs matched Denver punch for punch through the first half, Castle in particular attacking the paint aggressively and drawing fouls at will. Harrison Barnes added timely buckets from the mid-range, keeping the margin slim heading into the locker room.

The third quarter proved pivotal. Nikola Jokic, who ultimately finished with a staggering 31 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists, began asserting total dominance in the paint. Without Victor Wembanyama patrolling the rim, Denver’s Serbian center had free rein to operate, converting at will and directing traffic for a Nuggets offense that gradually opened up a gap San Antonio could not close.

In the fourth, Jamal Murray caught fire in the most decisive fashion. The Canadian guard converted all 15 of his free throw attempts on the night, finishing with 39 points and erasing any lingering Spurs comeback attempt. Fox’s late push — 27 points and 9 assists — was simply not enough to overcome Denver’s closing execution.

Castle’s Triple-Double and Murray’s Perfect Night at the Line

The signature sequence of the evening came in the final minutes. With the Spurs trailing by six and the crowd at Frost Bank Center still believing, Castle drove baseline, converted, and drew the foul — his 12th free throw attempt of the night. The young guard finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, a triple-double that underlined his rapid ascent as a lead creator. Yet on the other end, Murray repeatedly got to the line, and his flawless 15-for-15 performance from the stripe proved insurmountable. Spencer Jones chipped in 19 points off efficient shooting to further tilt the balance in Denver’s favor.

Victor Wembanyama’s Absence Looms Large

Wemby’s status and what it cost San Antonio

The ankle issue keeping the n°1 pick of the 2023 draft on the bench was the defining storyline of the night. The phénomène’s rim protection, shot-alteration, and offensive gravity are simply irreplaceable — Jokic’s historic line is in part a direct reflection of that void. The Spurs held their own offensively, posting 131 points, but defending a 20-rebound, 12-assist Jokic without a true counter-presence was an impossible task.

A collective effort that wasn’t quite enough

San Antonio’s supporting cast showed genuine fight. Castle’s triple-double, Fox’s near-triple-double (27 pts / 3 reb / 9 ast), Barnes’s efficient 20 points, and Dylan Harper’s positive +9 plus/minus in 24 minutes all signal a roster capable of competing even short-handed. The Spurs scored in bunches but could not secure enough stops when it mattered most, conceding 136 points on a night the Nuggets were near-perfect from the line as a team.

Looking ahead: Wembanyama’s return is the only storyline that matters

With the regular season entering its final stretch, every game carries increasing weight in the Western Conference standings. San Antonio cannot afford extended absences from their franchise anchor. The timeline on Wembanyama’s ankle will be the most closely watched injury update in the coming days, as the Spurs look to consolidate their playoff positioning. Their next outing will offer an early read on whether the French superstar can return to the floor — and how quickly this team can regain its true ceiling.