TITLE: Nuggets Rest Stars, Clinch Home Court; No. 3 Seed Still Up for Grabs
SLUG: nuggets-rest-starters-clinch-home-court-no-3-seed-still-up-for-grabs
CONTENT:
DENVER — With two games left on the schedule, the Denver Nuggets are still steering their own postseason course after a short-handed 20-point win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.
Head coach David Adelman held out his entire starting five — Nikola Jokić (right wrist), Jamal Murray (right shoulder), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring), Cameron Johnson (right ankle) and Christian Braun (left ankle/right hip) — citing injury management. Oklahoma City, which has already locked up the league’s best record, likewise benched nine rotation players, a move that indirectly helped Denver maintain its grip on the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed.
The victory secured home-court advantage for at least the opening round. Denver sits one game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for third place, but the Lakers own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Both clubs close the regular season on Sunday: the Nuggets visit San Antonio, while Los Angeles hosts Utah, a team eyeing improved lottery odds.
Denver can clinch the third seed — and a first-round matchup with No. 6 Minnesota — by defeating the Spurs. A loss, combined with a Lakers win, would drop the Nuggets to fourth and set up a series with fifth-seeded Houston.
Murray, Gordon, Johnson and Braun have already been ruled out for Sunday, along with Tim Hardaway Jr., Spencer Jones and Peyton Watson. Jokić is listed as questionable; he must log at least 15 minutes to remain eligible for postseason awards.
Adelman acknowledged internal discussions about preferred playoff routes but said player health ultimately outweighed seeding calculus. “There’s no ideal opponent,” he told reporters before Friday’s game, noting Denver’s recent back-and-forth history with both Minnesota and Houston.
Tip-off in San Antonio is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Source: Hoops Rumors
