LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan. San Antonio’s two stars were ruthless in their Game 6 win. No shield from Paul Millsap or Torrey Craig can do anything contrary to their torrent of jumpers and leaners that are fading. According to Nuggets coach Michael Malone, the Spurs shot 20-of-29 on midrange jumpers. That’s one which will be tough to replicate and an unbelievable number. The other edge for the Spurs is their experience. Combined, DeRozan and Aldridge have played in 128 playoff games.

Denver’s bench. The Nuggets’ reserves were thoroughly outplayed in Game 6. The Spurs enjoyed a scoring edge on the shoulders of Rudy Gay’s bounce-back showing. The mixture of Will Barton, Malik Beasley, Mason Plumlee and Monte Morris wasn’t impactful enough in their time on the floor. It was during the beginning of the quarter — when Nikola Jokic was on the seat — which the Spurs extended their lead with a 22-4 run that is devastating. If we presume Jokic and Jamal Murray are reliable despite the pressure, Game 7 could come down to a surprise performer.

One more first. The Nuggets harbor ’t fared well in playoff firsts far. They dropped Game 1 in the Pepsi Center and immediately lost advantage. They lost Game 3, their first playoff road game. Does their Game the show to close, faze them? In Denver’s defense, it has reacted well to must-win situations at every turn in this series. If nothing else, their NBA-best home record should afford them some degree of comfort in what will be an unprecedented environment for the majority of Denver’s key players.

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