The Denver Nuggets went to San Antonio to take on the Spurs in the season finale, game 82, with not only the third seed in the playoffs on the line, but also Nikola Jokic's postseason awards eligibility, and the team's 11-game winning streak. All three came out unscathed, and the Nuggets won on the court and in their playoff path.
The Nuggets, who were over 10-point underdogs to the Spurs, held on to win and extend the winning streak to 12, 128-118, in a game the Spurs had to have to keep the Nuggets on the other side of the playoff bracket. The Nuggets, meanwhile, seemed content with either outcome. But they played hard, won, and locked up the three seed.
The Nuggets' reserves, thrust into the starting lineup so the rest of the starters could rest, were led by Julian Strawther, who scored a career-high 25 points. David Roddy added 15 points and 13 rebounds, and the Nuggets were able to comfortably stay ahead.
The Nuggets will get Minnesota in round one
It's now official. The Nuggets are going to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets are 3-1 against the Wolves this season, and look to have finally figured out a team that has given them fits in past seasons.
The Wolves knocked the Nuggets out of the second round of the playoffs two years ago, and over the last five years, including the playoffs, the Nuggets are just 15-17 against Minnesota.
The Nuggets also secured the "easier" path to the Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets, should they advance past the Wolves, would likely get the Spurs in round two instead of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Nuggets are 3-1 against the Spurs this season, and 1-3 against the Thunder.
People had thought the Nuggets were trying to duck the Wolves in round one based on their resting of starters the last two games. But it turns out the Nuggets truly just wanted to get them some rest.
Nikola Jokic got his MVP minutes
Nikola Jokic needed to play 15-20 minutes to qualify for his 65th game played so that he would qualify for postseason awards, thanks to the NBA's 65-game minimum rule. Jokic got his 18 minutes and scored 23 points to go with 8 rebounds and only one assist.
Jokic will now qualify for a chance to win his fourth MVP award, and it keeps his chances of making his eighth-straight All-NBA team alive.
The Nuggets wrap up the 2025-26 regular season with a 54-28 record.