Game 7 was winding down, and the Spurs needed a bucket to have any hope of making a late comeback. The Nuggets were up four with under a minute to go. DeMar DeRozan could have cut it to three, but he missed the first of two free throws. It was a two-possession game and San Antonio needed a stop and a quick bucket.
Denver predictably went to its Jamal Murray — Nikola Jokic two-man game. Murray made a pocket pass to a diving Jokic, but the Spurs’ defense was ready.