The Denver Nuggets wrapped up the regular season in style on Sunday, taking down the San Antonio Spurs 128-118 to lock in the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and a first-round showdown with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The win capped a 12-game surge that sends Denver into the postseason with momentum and home-court advantage for the opening games at Ball Arena, where the Nuggets will host Games 1 and 2 as they flip into playoff mode.
How the finale played out
Julian Strawther took center stage in the regular-season curtain call, pouring in 25 points to lead Denver in the finale. Nikola Jokić, used sparingly with the playoffs looming, logged 18 minutes and still finished with 23 points and eight rebounds. The box score also credits Jonas Valanciunas with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Bruce Brown stood alone as the only Nugget to appear in all 82 games this season. Those numbers and the 128-118 result are detailed in a recap by The Denver Post.
Jokić's historic season
Nikola Jokić closed the regular season with production that once again hovered around a historic triple-double line: roughly 27.8 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.9 assists per game. According to statistical compilations such as Basketball-Reference, he has averaged a triple-double in consecutive seasons, a central reason Denver will lean heavily on his playmaking as the postseason grind begins.
First-round outlook
The first-round series opens in Denver and brings a familiar kind of challenge. Minnesota arrives with Anthony Edwards’ scoring punch on the perimeter and Rudy Gobert’s rim protection in the paint, a combination that will test Denver’s defense and force Jokić to create under pressure. Sports Illustrated laid out the scenarios that dropped Denver into the No. 3 slot and explained why the Timberwolves shape up as a dangerous draw for a Nuggets squad that now pivots to matchup work and health management.
Coach and next steps
After the game, coach David Adelman said the staff would “try to figure out what was going on” as they shift from regular-season minutiae to playoff preparation. The Nuggets’ immediate focus will be fine-tuning rotations, guarding Jokić’s touch on offense and protecting home court when the series tips off at Ball Arena, per The Denver Post.
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