Denver (53-28) won its 11th straight game to secure at least the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. Julian Strawther finished with 22 points and David Roddy scored a season-high 21 points.
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The Nuggets sat their entire starting lineup despite fighting for home-field advantage in the first round. A 21-5 run to open the fourth quarter gave them the win they needed and kept them in position for third place. Denver entered with a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers, who were hosting Phoenix.
The Nuggets, who finish the season in San Antonio on Sunday night, prioritized rest over seeding.
“I think you have to play with the best decisions for the team,” coach David Adelman said before the game. “And we feel that tonight this is the best decision.”
Oklahoma City earned the first overall seed Wednesday night and opted to rest most of its starting lineup. Lu Dort was the only starter to play for the Thunder and finished with five points. Coach Mark Daigneault said Dort needs to play at least 20 minutes in each of the final two games to qualify for season awards.
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Daigneault called a timeout early in the third quarter as Dort reached the 20-minute mark.
Branden Carlson led the Thunder with 23 points.
Using only an eight-man rotation, the Thunder closed a nine-point deficit to 87-85 at the end of the third quarter. Zeke Nnaji then hit a 3-pointer in the corner as Denver went on a 17-0 run.
Next
Grizzlies: Host Phoenix on Sunday night.
Nuggets: In San Antonio on Sunday night.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl