Spurs Fall 128-118 to Nuggets in Regular-Season Finale, Enter Playoffs as No. 2 Seed
The San Antonio Spurs closed out the 2025-26 NBA regular season with a 128-118 loss to the Denver Nuggets on April 12, 2026 — a result that mattered far less for the standings than it did for what it revealed heading into the postseason. With Victor Wembanyama sidelined by rib soreness and the Spurs already locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, Sunday's finale served as a preview of the questions that will follow San Antonio into the playoffs: How healthy is Wembanyama? Can this team win without him? And how dangerous are they when he's right?
Those questions don't have clean answers yet. But they are the right questions to be asking about a franchise that has rebuilt faster than almost anyone anticipated — and is now one of the most compelling stories entering a Western Conference bracket loaded with contenders.
Final Score: Nuggets 128, Spurs 118 — What Happened
Denver controlled Sunday's game from the opening minutes, with Julian Strawther leading all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting (3-of-4 from the free-throw line). The Nuggets, who finished the regular season as the No. 3 seed in the West with a 54-28 record, came in with something to play for — positioning, momentum, and a statement game before the playoffs begin.
For San Antonio, De'Aaron Fox carried the offensive load, finishing with 24 points on 8-of-21 shooting and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. It was a workmanlike performance in a game that the Spurs had little reason to push, but Fox's ability to shoulder the scoring burden in Wembanyama's absence was a meaningful data point nonetheless.
The 10-point final margin understates Denver's control. Without Wembanyama anchoring the defense and Luke Kornet also out with a shoulder injury — leaving the Spurs severely short-handed in the frontcourt — San Antonio lacked the interior presence to challenge Denver's offense in the half-court. The Nuggets exploited that vacuum efficiently.
Wembanyama's Injury: What We Know and Why It Matters
The defining storyline entering Sunday's game — and the one that will dominate Spurs coverage through the first round — is Victor Wembanyama's rib soreness. The 22-year-old phenom was ruled out after suffering a rib contusion earlier in the week during a win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The team classified Sunday's absence as precautionary, protecting their most important player with the playoffs days away.
Here's the thing: Wembanyama played through that rib contusion just days earlier. On April 10, he put up 40 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks in a 139-120 demolition of the Dallas Mavericks. That performance — already while injured — is a reminder of the absurd ceiling this player represents. When Wembanyama is right, the Spurs aren't just a No. 2 seed. They're a genuine threat to reach the Western Conference Finals.
The precautionary rest makes strategic sense. A 10-point loss in a meaningless game is a small price for arriving at the playoffs with Wembanyama as close to 100% as possible. The Spurs' medical staff and coaching staff deserve credit for making the conservative call rather than risking further aggravation for the sake of optics.
Wembanyama's April 10 game against Dallas was his 65th of the season — the NBA's minimum threshold for postseason awards eligibility. That timing was not accidental. San Antonio was methodical about getting him to that threshold.
Awards Eligibility: The 65-Game Threshold and Defensive Player of the Year
The significance of Wembanyama's 65th appearance goes beyond just another entry in the box score. By logging that game on April 10, he cleared the NBA's minimum requirement for postseason awards consideration — most critically, making himself eligible for Defensive Player of the Year.
This matters because Wembanyama has been the most disruptive defensive force in the league this season. His combination of length, lateral quickness, and basketball IQ at the center position is genuinely unprecedented. Traditional shot-blocking metrics don't fully capture his impact; his presence warps offensive game-planning in ways that don't show up cleanly in counting stats. If his defensive season holds up to scrutiny against other candidates, the award is his to lose.
The Spurs managing his games played carefully to hit that 65-game mark is a testament to the front office's long-term thinking. They weren't just developing Wembanyama — they were protecting his award candidacy while keeping him healthy for a playoff run. That dual-track management of a young superstar reflects a level of organizational sophistication that has become a Spurs hallmark across different eras.
Western Conference Playoff Picture: Spurs vs. Suns or Trail Blazers
San Antonio enters the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, which means they won't play until the play-in round is resolved. The Portland Trail Blazers secured the No. 8 seed and will face the No. 7 Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to face the Spurs in the Western Conference quarterfinals.
Either matchup presents a favorable draw for San Antonio on paper. Phoenix has been inconsistent all season, and Portland — despite a surprising late-season run to the 8 seed — is still a young team with limited playoff experience. Against either opponent, the Spurs' depth, two-way capability, and Wembanyama's star power make them heavy favorites to advance.
The more pressing question for Spurs fans is what happens in the second round. The No. 1 seed and the No. 3 Nuggets loom as potential opponents, and a Spurs-Nuggets second-round matchup would be one of the most intriguing series of the postseason. Denver's experience and Nikola Jokic's brilliance would test everything San Antonio has built. But that matchup isn't guaranteed, and the Spurs have to take it one series at a time.
Meanwhile, other Western Conference teams are also making their playoff cases. The Lakers wrapped up their own regular-season business on Sunday, while Eastern Conference teams like Orlando have been building momentum of their own heading into the bracket.
De'Aaron Fox and the Supporting Cast: Who Steps Up?
The Spurs' depth was a legitimate strength throughout the regular season, and Sunday's game — even in a losing effort — provided a reminder of what San Antonio can do when Wembanyama isn't on the floor. Fox's 24 points kept the game competitive against a rested Nuggets squad. But 24 points on 8-of-21 shooting (38.1%) also illustrates the ceiling when the offense runs through Fox rather than Wembanyama.
The ideal version of this Spurs team is one where Wembanyama takes the defensive pressure off everyone else, creates havoc in the passing lanes, and finishes around the rim while Fox operates as a secondary creator. When both are humming, San Antonio is a genuinely difficult team to game-plan against. When Wembanyama is out, the offense becomes more predictable and the defense loses its most important piece.
Luke Kornet's shoulder injury is also worth monitoring. Kornet has been a reliable backup big who provides shooting and some rim protection — his absence on Sunday, combined with Wembanyama's, left the Spurs without meaningful frontcourt depth. If he isn't healthy for the first round, San Antonio may need to lean on some unconventional lineups until the frontcourt is whole again.
The 76ers' own injury and roster concerns this season underscore how fragile playoff depth can be — and why the Spurs are right to treat the next week as a recovery window rather than a tune-up opportunity.
What This Means: Analysis of Where the Spurs Stand
The final score on Sunday is essentially irrelevant to how San Antonio should be evaluated entering the playoffs. A team resting its best player and missing a key rotation piece in a meaningless game loses to a motivated No. 3 seed. That's not a data point about the Spurs' ceiling — it's noise.
What is a data point: Wembanyama put up 40-13-5 while injured against Dallas just days before sitting out with rib soreness. That performance — in the same week as the injury — shows the level of discomfort he was willing to manage to reach his 65th game for awards eligibility. It also shows that when he's on the floor, even compromised, the offense runs through him in a way that transforms the Spurs into a different team entirely.
The broader story here is about trajectory. San Antonio was supposed to need more time. A No. 2 seed in the Western Conference is a genuine accomplishment for a franchise that has been in rebuild mode since Kawhi Leonard's departure. The Spurs have arrived at the postseason without a tank job, without shortcuts, and with a genuine generational talent as their cornerstone. That's not a fluke — it's the result of sustained organizational decision-making.
The Denver loss also serves as a useful calibration point. The Nuggets are a real threat, and if the Spurs face them in the second round, it will be a war. Jokic is a three-time MVP for a reason, and Denver's playoff experience vastly exceeds San Antonio's. The Spurs shouldn't be surprised if the tournament is harder than the regular season suggested.
But here's the bottom line: a healthy Victor Wembanyama changes every calculation. The rib soreness is a legitimate concern for the first week of the playoffs, and it will need to be monitored closely. If he's limited in the first round, the Spurs can probably still advance — but not without showing their hand in ways that could complicate things against a tougher second-round opponent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of the Spurs game today?
The Denver Nuggets defeated the San Antonio Spurs 128-118 in the regular-season finale on April 12, 2026. Julian Strawther led Denver with 25 points, while De'Aaron Fox topped San Antonio with 24 points. Victor Wembanyama did not play due to rib soreness.
Why did Victor Wembanyama not play against the Nuggets?
Wembanyama was ruled out with rib soreness stemming from a rib contusion he suffered earlier in the week during a win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Spurs classified his absence as precautionary ahead of the playoffs. Despite the injury, Wembanyama had played in the Spurs' win over Dallas on April 10, recording 40 points and 13 rebounds in his 65th game of the season — the threshold required for NBA postseason awards eligibility.
What seed are the Spurs in the 2026 playoffs?
The San Antonio Spurs are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference for the 2026 NBA playoffs. They will face the winner of the play-in game between the No. 7 Phoenix Suns and No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference quarterfinals.
Who will the Spurs play in the first round of the playoffs?
That depends on the outcome of the play-in game. The Portland Trail Blazers (No. 8 seed) will face the Phoenix Suns (No. 7 seed) on Tuesday. The winner advances to face San Antonio in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Is Victor Wembanyama eligible for Defensive Player of the Year?
Yes. By appearing in his 65th game of the season on April 10 against the Dallas Mavericks, Wembanyama met the NBA's minimum game threshold for postseason awards eligibility. He is now eligible for Defensive Player of the Year consideration — an award many observers believe he deserves based on his impact this season.
Conclusion
Sunday's 128-118 loss to Denver is the kind of result that looks worse on paper than it was in practice. The Spurs rested their franchise player, played short-handed, and still kept it competitive in what amounted to an extended glorified practice for the team that matters: the first-round playoff version of this roster.
The real Spurs story entering the postseason is this: a 22-year-old who was already playing through a rib contusion put up a 40-point, 13-rebound game days before the playoffs begin, reached a statistical milestone that makes him eligible for one of the league's most prestigious individual awards, and is now resting to be healthy for when it counts. That's not a red flag. That's an organization managing its most valuable asset with precision.
San Antonio has earned its No. 2 seed. Now the question is whether they can take the next step and win in the postseason — a stage where the margin for error shrinks, experience counts, and the health of your best player is everything. Wembanyama's rib will be the most-watched injury story of the first round. If he's right, the Spurs are a legitimate threat. If he's not, even a favorable first-round matchup could get complicated fast.
The 2025-26 NBA season ended on April 12 with more questions than answers about San Antonio. That's probably the right way to start a playoff run.
