The Denver Nuggets chose to rest the majority of their usual rotation for the second straight game ahead of Sunday’s regular-season finale against the San Antonio Spurs.
Nuggets coach David Adelman said that Nikola Jokic will play at least the first half. Jokic needs to play at least 15 minutes to be eligible for postseason awards.
Nuggets’ Roster Decisions and Western Conference Standings
The Nuggets’ decision to prioritise health and rest heading into the postseason could have several downstream effects on the standings. Denver enters the games as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference at 53-28 but could swap places with the No. 4-seeded Los Angeles Lakers (52-29) with an L.A. win over Utah on Sunday and a Nuggets loss.
The Lakers hold the tiebreaker over the Nuggets thanks to some late-game heroics in an overtime win last month.
Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun will be out for the Nuggets. All four players — and Jokic — missed Friday’s 127-107 win over Oklahoma City. Tim Hardaway Jr., who played vs. the Thunder, is also out. Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones, who each have missed the past several games because of right hamstring strains, are out as well.
Spurs’ Injury Update
The Spurs will be mostly fully healthy outside of superstar Victor Wembanyama, who was ruled out. Wembanyama already clinched eligibility for postseason awards by playing Friday.
The Spurs are locked in as the No. 2 seed in the West but could help force the Nuggets into Oklahoma City’s playoff bracket with a win.
Potential Playoff Matchups
As the No. 3 seed, the Nuggets would play the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. If they fall to No. 4, they will host the Houston Rockets.