SAN ANTONIO — The basketball gods, according to a believer named George Karl, have a way of determining destiny. Disrespect them and they’ll get you in the end.
Well, early in Saturday’s game, coach Karl’s Nuggets played defense with an “aggressiveness that was luke-warm at best,” he said. Denver trailed by 20 in the second quarter. But after a valiant comeback, the Nuggets were plagued by a couple ire-firing non-calls in the fourth quarter — and Denver lost to San Antonio, 121-117.
The Nuggets (6-3) actually finished with sparkling stats — 56.8 shooting percentage, 25 assists and 31 points from Danilo Gallinari.
But with a little over two minutes left, and Denver down five, point guard Ty Lawson was seemingly hammered on a layup attempt. A foul wasn’t called — and while Lawson was slow getting up, the Spurs capitalized on a five-on-four with a Richard Jefferson open 3.
“Their explanation was that it wasn’t a foul — both refs said (the Spurs player) got the ball,” Karl said of the play that became a five-point swing. He considered opining about the play but stopped himself, paused and said: “I’ll save my money.”
The loss was a frustrating one for the powder blue, who according to Karl, “probably played better than they did the rest of the way,” after Denver dug its hole.
But the Spurs (6-2) played steady, fluid basketball for most of the night — crisp passes, sharp penetration, the whole deal. Oh, and some guy named Danny Green played the game of his life. The reserve who averages 5.4 points per game scored a career-high 24 points (with seven rebounds too), filling in for the injured Manu Ginobili in the backcourt.
As for Gallinari, he’s recently been playing the way many thought he would — Dirk-like. Gallo started off a little slow for Denver — his 3-pointers often rattling and rimming out — and entered the night with a 15.1 points per game average. But he had 23 points on Friday in New Orleans and then his season-high 31 on Saturday, tying a career-high. Notably, he was 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, including a clutch hoist late in the game, as Denver tried desperately to cut the Spurs’ lead.
“He needs to be aggressive,” teammate Corey Brewer said. “Since he can be moved from small forward to power forward, big guys can’t guard him. That allows for mismatches and chances to get buckets for us.”
The Nuggets trailed by as many as 20 points in the second quarter, as the Spurs beat Denver at its own game – pushing the ball in transition, getting layups before the defense could set up. So Karl called upon Brewer, who has played sparingly so far this season. Brewer was sensational, notably on the defensive end, drawing a charge here, rattling a shot there. He ran the floor well, too, helping Denver spread the floor in transition. The Nuggets cut the first-half deficit to six and trailed 62-55 at the half. The former Florida star finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two steals – in just 12 minutes.
“With our team, if we can get it under eight, I feel like we can win,” he said. “We had a chance — if Ty gets that call, you never know what could have happened.”
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
Nuggets Recap
What you might have missed
After leading all players Friday with five turnovers, Denver’s Ty Lawson didn’t have one on Saturday — while tallying 10 assists. … George Karl played Chris Andersen just five minutes.
Final thought
Incredible comeback, but the Spurs are tough at home.
Up Next
Vs. New Orleans, Monday, 7 p.m.
