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Denver starters outside of Jokic are all out tomorrow in San Antonio

The Western Conference playoff picture remains fluid heading into the final day of the regular season, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets now at the center of a tightly contested seeding battle. Both teams entered the weekend with identical records, leaving Sunday’s outcomes set to determine positioning between the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds.

The situation shifted significantly after Denver released its injury report ahead of its matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. The Nuggets ruled out multiple key rotation players, including Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and others, while listing Nikola Jokic as questionable due to right wrist injury management. That decision has placed the Lakers in a favorable position to climb in the standings.

With Los Angeles set to face the Utah Jazz in a game widely viewed as winnable, the path to the No. 3 seed is now clear. If the Lakers secure a victory and Denver falls to San Antonio, both teams would finish with the same record, but Los Angeles would claim the higher seed by virtue of its 2-1 season-series advantage.

Denver Nuggets Rest Key Starters Ahead of San Antonio Spurs Matchup

GettyDenver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic

Denver’s injury report effectively sidelines the majority of its starting lineup for the regular-season finale. Murray (right shoulder impingement), Gordon (right hamstring injury management), Tim Hardaway Jr. (left knee soreness), Cam Johnson (right ankle injury management), Christian Braun (left ankle injury management/right hip flexor strain), Peyton Watson (right hamstring strain), and Spencer Jones (right hamstring strain) have all been ruled out.

Jokic remains the lone starter with a chance to play, though his status is uncertain. The reigning MVP candidate needs to log additional minutes to meet the league’s 65-game requirement for postseason awards eligibility, which could factor into the final decision.

Nuggets head coach David Adelman addressed the broader context of lineup decisions, emphasizing health as the primary concern.

“What’s on the injury report is what they’re out with,” Adelman said (via The Denver Post). “They’re dealing with a lot more than that physically… We feel like tonight, this is the best decision.”

The approach reflects a balance between preserving player health and navigating playoff matchups. Denver’s potential drop to the No. 4 seed would alter its first-round opponent and reshape its path through the Western Conference bracket.

Los Angeles Lakers Positioned to Capitalize in Western Conference Standings

GettyLos Angeles Lakers

The Lakers enter Sunday with momentum and a clear opportunity to improve their playoff position. A win over Utah, combined with a Denver loss, would elevate Los Angeles to the No. 3 seed and shift the first-round matchup to a 3-vs-6 series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Such a move would also affect the broader playoff bracket. Securing the third seed could allow the Lakers to avoid a potential second-round meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder, depending on how other results unfold.

The implications have not gone unnoticed around the league. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps noted the likely standings outcome if current trends hold, projecting Los Angeles into the No. 3 spot while Denver drops to fourth.

At the same time, San Antonio has its own incentive to compete in the finale. A victory over Denver could help the Spurs avoid a future playoff matchup against the Nuggets, adding another layer of significance to the game.

Spurs players have acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding final seeding. Victor Wembanyama indicated that decisions on availability would depend in part on how the standings develop across the league.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen around the league,” Wembanyama said when asked about his status for the finale.

For the Lakers, the equation remains straightforward. Handle their own game, and they are in a position to benefit from Denver’s depleted lineup.

As the regular season concludes, the combination of injury management, strategic decisions, and playoff implications has created a high-stakes finish. With multiple teams weighing health against seeding, Sunday’s results will finalize the Western Conference bracket and set the stage for the postseason.