After playing high-octane Phoenix, the Nuggets’ two games in four nights against San Antonio means a total change of pace. Like pace-car pace.
“We average 105 possessions per game,” Denver coach George Karl said Thursday. “I just got the scouting report on San Antonio. Our last five games against San Antonio, we’ve averaged 88 possessions.
“That’s how they slow us down. They shoot the ball late in the shot clock, they move the ball from side-to-side. They’ll do two, sometimes three pick-and-rolls in a possession. Their patient shot selection is (coach Gregg) Popovich’s forte.”
The Nuggets (36-24) will host San Antonio tonight, followed the next night at Utah, and then Monday at San Antonio, where the Spurs’ four championship banners hang. These are big games. In the airtight West, where the Nuggets are sparring for a playoff spot, one lengthy losing streak could bury a team.
“We know exactly how important these games are,” said Denver guard Chucky Atkins, who should return to action tonight. “We want to make the playoffs, but we don’t just have our eye on the eighth seed; we have our eye on passing Utah and going up the ladder so we can have home-court advantage in the first round.”
The Nuggets are a fast-paced team. They revved up their game against a similarly speedy Suns team. But playing the Spurs’ style is a different challenge. Tango to waltz.
The Spurs wore down Denver in the teams’ first meeting this season, Dec. 15 in San Antonio, but at Pepsi Center on Jan. 3, Denver played one of its finest defensive games in a victory. San Antonio shot just 37 percent.
Denver understands it will have to play defense longer than usual and, yes, playing defense for any length of time has been tough this season. The strategy to defend San Antonio will include smaller guards playing physical defense on Ginobili and a bigger defender on guard Tony Parker — possibly Carmelo Anthony or even Kenyon Martin, primarily a post defender.
“Our big guys are good at staying in front of little guys, or at least bothering their shots,” Karl said. “The more shots they miss, the better opportunity you have to play open court. They’re the best in basketball in transition balance and taking away baskets. They’ve been that way for 10 years. But we can’t change. We have to be aware of it, and as the game goes on, you find circumstances and situations that can be effective.”
The return of Atkins, rehabilitated after sports hernia surgery, will be a jolt for the Nuggets. The reserve guard played nine games this season, but he wasn’t himself, playing tentatively because of the hernia.
“I’m going to be able to do things I wasn’t able to do earlier in the season,” he said. “Then, everything was hard to do — running, jumping, overall movement in general. This time, you’ll see me a lot quicker up and down the court, though it will take me a few games just to get my legs under me.”
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
NOTEBOOK
Nuggets: Following Wednesday’s outpour, J.R. Smith has now made six 3-pointers in a game six times, which is second-most in the NBA this season. . . . The Nuggets have won 12 of their last 14 games at the Pepsi Center. . . . The Nuggets shot 52.7 percent in Wednesday’s 126-113 victory over Phoenix. They are 14-1 when they shoot 50 percent or higher.
Spurs: Power forward Tim Duncan is sixth in the NBA with 11.6 rebounds per game and ninth with 1.89 blocks. . . . In the Spurs’ last game against Denver, guard Tony Parker had a team-high 20 points and led the team with nine assists. . . . Forward Bruce Bowen leads the NBA with 495 consecutive games played and started.
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
