The San Antonio Spurs forced a Game 7 with the Denver Nuggets after some bright performances from DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge, their two best players on Thursday.

DeRozan's 25 points on 12-of-16 shooting and Aldridge's 26 points were a masterclass around the perimeter, combining deft shots from mid-range with a sneaky ability to get buckets in the paint.

Now faced with a win-or-go-home scenario against the second-seeded team in the West, DeRozan is plenty aware of what's at stake.

“Win or go home, simple as that,” said DeRozan, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Once you understand the meaning of that, going into that game, you understand that every single second on that court… It brings out a different side of you. The guys at the end of Game 7 understand what it’s like.”

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There is a certain level of desperation that allows some guys to reach that extra gear, while others shy in the grandeur of the moment, reduced to mere jitters.

Head coach Gregg Popovich’s will coach his 284th postseason game, having been down this road plenty of times before. With five NBA titles and 22 consecutive playoff appearances, Pop said he thought the whole experience thing “gets overplayed.”

“We’ve all been in every sort of game, behind 3-2, up 3-2, up 3-0, everything,” he said. “If you’ve been around a while, you’ve seen it all, you’ve been in all the situations. It always comes down to individuals who come and have a good game and putting the ball in the hole.”

The only thing left to uncover is if the Spurs can ride the momentum of a rousing 120-103 home win and carry it into the Pepsi Center to upset the higher-seeded Nuggets on Saturday.