Nuggets nearly complete 18-point fourth-quarter comeback but fall short again in San Antonio

Seven seasons and counting.

That’s how long it’s been since the Nuggets won in San Antonio against the Spurs, and Monday night, Denver extended its losing streak another year.

Behind 24 points from DeMar DeRozan and 22 more via LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs edged the Nuggets 104-103 and handed the Nuggets their third-straight loss. The last time Denver won in San Antonio was March 4, 2012. Jamal Murray was 15 years old. That’s 13-straight losses if you’re counting.

Murray certainly did his best to try and deliver Denver its first win in San Antonio since the Ty Lawson era-Nuggets topped the Spurs on a spirited second-half comeback where at one point Denver trailed by 18 points early in the fourth quarter. After the Nuggets’ starters re-entered the game at the 7:29 mark of the fourth with Denver trailing 95-80, Murray and Co. went on a 23-9 run to trim the Spurs’ margin to one point with 13.1 seconds remaining in regulation.

Denver had the ball with 3.3 seconds remaining and trailing 104-103, but Gary Harris’ potential game-winner from the corner missed. Murray scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and drained four of five triples. He finished the night with a team-high 25 points on 8-19 shooting.

Nikola Jokic had a productive night as well, scoring 22 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and handing out six assists. Malik Beasley added 15 points off Denver’s bench. Isaiah Thomas, in his sixth game in a Nuggets uniform, finished with seven points on 3-11 shooting in 16 minutes.

The Nuggets have now lost three-straight games for the third time this season. Denver continues its road trip in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Wednesday.